Just four months after hosting the spectacular 2008 Summer Games, China has set her eyes on hosting another Games–this time the Winter event. According to Reuters, Harbin (pictured above), the capital of China’s Heilongjiang Province in the northeastern part of the country, is considering bidding on the 2018 Games. Harbin, a bustling town of five million residents, had unsuccessfully bid on the 2010 Games, which were awarded to Vancouver.
Harbin will face competition from declared candidates, Munich, Germany and Grenoble, Nice, and Annecy in France.
(photo © Newscom)

At least one prospective 2016 Olympic city is worried that the election of Chicagoan, Barack Obama as president of the United States will give Chicago an advantage in the selection process. Japanese organizers have reportedly been concerned that all of Chicago’s recent attention from the presidential election will catch the notice of International Olympic Committee (IOC) members. It’s also no secret that President-Elect Obama supports the efforts to host the 2016 Summer Games in his home city. Time will tell.
Chicago and Tokyo are two of four cities in the running to be the 2016 Olympic host city. The others are …read more

France, who has hosted the Winter Olympic Games three times, announced today that they are putting together a bid for the 2018 Games. Under consideration are the cities of Annecy, Nice, and Grenoble. The 1924 Winter Games were held in Chamonix, the 1968 Games in Grenoble, and the 1992 Games in Albertville (pictured above).
France intends to announce their candidate city in early 2009. They have at least one rival. Munich Germany has already announced her plans to bid for the 2018 Games.
(photo © Newscom)

The British cycling team has done exceedingly well at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and the people at their training facility, the Manchester Velodrome, have been really celebrating.  They’ve done so well that many are confused by the fact that the British Olympic Committee is going to build a new center for the upcoming 2012 London Olympic Games.  Watch the segment here:

What do you think?  Should England really build a new velodrome?

Technorati Tags: team britain,britain,england,2012 london olympics,2008 beijing olympics,video

A rockslide has closed the highway leading to several 2010 Winter Olympic venues.  While there were no known injuries reported, a vehicle was struck by rocks that police described as “the size of a room or semi-trailer truck, about 20 to 30 feet (six to nine meters) in diameter.”
The road is expected to reopen within a few days after officials find either an environmentally friendly method of pushing the debris off a cliff and into an ocean or blasting the fallen rocks and hauling them away.
Hopefully, they can come up with a way to keep this from being a …read more

The new mayor of London has announced that he wants to tighten the “financial management” of the 2012 Olympic Games.  While chairing his first Olympic Board meeting, Boris Johnson, scaled back the plans for the hospitality venue, “London House,” which will promote the hosts at the Beijing Olympics.  So far, he has cut 18 gourmet chefs, reduced the number of delegates attending the festivities, downgraded their accommodations and everyone must fly economy.  Is it worth it?  You decide – his actions will save the committee 1.2 million pounds.
“The Olympic Games are important to London, as is our presence during the …read more

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) narrowed the cities in the running to host the 2016 summer games to four cities on Wednesday. Still in contention are Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo. Eliminated from consideration are Prague; Doha, Qatar; and Baku, Azerbajan.
(photo © Newscom)

Image details: Torch served by picapp.com

Amidst the nightmare that has followed the Olympic torch as it has toured the globe leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, organizers for the 2012 London games are considering having a British-only relay.
"No decision has been made," Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said. "This is something that will be the subject of very careful consideration over the next four years. We do not have to make a decision until after the dust has settled over Beijing. Our aim is to host the best Games ever."

It would be very sad, to me, to see the relay …read more