The 2008 Paralympic Games opened in Beijing on Saturday with a ceremony to rival that of the Olympic Games. Below are a few scenes:

The Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics will be held tomorrow night at the Olympic Stadium, and although many components are being kept secret (such as the final torch bearer), much is known about the festivities.
The date and the time are symbolic. Eight is a lucky number in China. Hence, August 8, 2008 at 8:08:08 pm is about as lucky as you can get. The ceremony is expected to last about 3 1/2 hours.
Entertainers will include Britain’s Sarah Brightman (of “Phantom of the Opera” fame), Canada’s Celine Dion, and Taiwan’s Jay Chou.
Among the 104 foreign dignitaries attending the event are …read more

I actually tried pronouncing his name out loud. Yes, I hard a difficult time doing it. I can’t even do it fast enough or even in a casual way. Heh. But enough about that. I reckon it’s more important that we take a look at who he is and what his connection is to the Olympics.
Kaklamanakis is a Greek Olympian. His event is held on water, Sailing. He’s a three-time Mistral class windsurfing world champion and a gold medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Sailing. And he was the one who lit the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony …read more

There’s an opportunity for you to become a torch bearer in the upcoming 2008 Olympic Torch Relay in China. This is just a short clip of the advert. Watch and be inspired.
Take the leap like how Marco did. Be a part of Olympic hostory.

This is just a quick look on who Rechelle Hawkes is and what her Olympic achievements are.
Hawkes is the captain of the Australian Women’s Hockey Team aka Hockeyroos for eight years. She is a midfield player.
Hawkes was able to compete in three Olympic Games: 1988 Seoul Games, 1996 Atlanta Games and 2000 Sydney Games, where she won the gold medal. Another time she competed is during the 1992 Barcelona Games, where Australia finished fifth place.
The three gold win in the Olympics is a record in women’s hockey that still remains unbroken today. And Hawkes is one of two Australian …read more

Imagine you’re a twenty-year-old sprinter from Mexico. And that your country has won the honor to host the Olympics in 1968. Guess what? You’ve been chosen to light the Olympic Torch!
Such was the fortune of Norma Enriqueta Basilio de Sotelo, who became the first woman ever to light the Olympic torch. And this development was a high point in an Olympics almost canceled thanks to controversies surrounding it.
Norma will always be part of Olympic history. Even as she pursues a career in the Mexican legislature, she will always be remembered as a symbol of equality—and the dream of a world …read more

Yay! At an impressive ceremony held at the China Millennium Monument in Beijing, they finally announced the Olympic Torch Relay Route that I was looking forward to hearing about.
The relay is expected to last 130 days and cover a distance of 137,000 kilometres, passing through five continents and visiting some of the principal points of the ancient Silk Road. With its theme, “Journey of Harmony”, and its slogan “Light the Passion”, the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay will be an opportunity for BOCOG to share its Olympic message with the world.
Take a look at how the Olympic Torch will look like. …read more

Nawal El Moutawakel, one of the most famous Moroccan athletes, is an Olympian who won the women’s 400m hurdles at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Moutawakel’s the first Muslim and African female Olympic champion. Her winning the gold medal in her sport signals a breakthrough for other female athletes in Morocco, her home country and other Islamic nations.
Did you know that according to Wikipedia, “The King of Morocco declared that all girls born the day of her victory were to be named in her honour.”
Another trivia is that Moutawakel was one of the eight flag bearers at the Opening …read more

In most events, not only in sports, there’s a certain way of celebrating it’s opening. There are different formats to the programme. However, what I found somewhat common is that part wherein organisers, participants and spectators are subjected to the event’s music theme or anthem. So, have you ever wondered, for a prestigious sporting event as the Olympics, have an anthem or “official” song?
Answering that question, the Olympic Games does have one and was inducted into the programme at the first opening ceremony during the first Olympiad in Athens, Greece.
The Olympic Anthem that was played and sung by the Athens …read more

Thanks to Rico, who gave me the idea for this post, I am able to share with the rest of you what I’ve discovered about this jetpack thingie that was showcased during opening ceremonies of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Okay. That looked like a promotional clip for that company but hey, it sure was a lot of fun watching it. I wish I was there to see the jetpack [and the human, of course!] fly!
To watch other jetpack videoclips, click on.