OLYMPIC GAMES China making great progress

China has shown it is serious about being host to the 2008 Olympic Games.
NEWSDAY
ATHENS, Greece -- They hadn't even blown out the big Olympic candle here Sunday night when a huge banner was unfurled during the closing ceremonies saying, "Welcome to Beijing."
Get your sneakers and go to China; they'll start the Summer Games Aug. 8, 2008.
The Chinese are ready.
While Athens and Greek organizers procrastinated, waiting until the last instant to shape up things for the just-concluded 2004 Games, Beijing has moved so quickly with preparations that International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said, "It's the first time in my Olympic life I've had to tell an organizing city to slow down."
Already 30 sports venues are under construction, including the planned 100,000-seat "Bird's Nest" main stadium. Next month, a countdown clock will be placed in Tiananmen Square, ticking down the days, hours and minutes to the 2008 Opening Ceremonies.
China is serious
It is clear that China takes its shot at being the Olympic host extremely seriously. Having the Games will allow the Chinese to display to the rest of the globe the world's oldest culture and will be a centerpiece in China's move toward a market economy.
It could be that no nation has put such importance on staging the Games since the 1936 Berlin Olympics, used to show off Nazi efficiency. Organizers understand that a well-run Olympics can burnish China's image, boost its tourism, widen its business clout.
And, beyond being a good host, China intends to demonstrate what the world's most populous nation can do on the playing fields. Already, Chinese Olympic officials are carefully calculating their medal possibilities in Beijing.
In the race for gold medals here, China was second to the United States, with 32 to the Americans' 35. And China's eyes are on Russia in the standings for total medals; after the United States, 103, and Russia, 92, China totaled 63 to finish third.
"Because China is a developing power in the world," said Xiao Tian, vice president of China's Olympic Committee, "sport is very influential among the public. Sport can bring joy and happiness, and maybe encouragement to the people."
Funding is there
Already the Chinese government is putting $100 million a year into training and developing elite athletes, and there is another $25 million from sponsorships. This is not a great deal more than the U.S. Olympic Committee raises for athlete support, though the USOC is privately funded.
Too, like most national Olympic committees, China's is busy determining which sports offer it the best opportunity to find medal favorites.
"In the 100 meters, for example," Xiao said, "it is very difficult to catch up with that standard.
"You will also notice the phenomenon in the 100 meters, there are very few white people. So we have to elect, make choices, to focus on our strong sports."
Like a calling card
Yet the Chinese potential to crack previously ignored events became clear here when Liu Ziang, only 21, burst onto the scene with a 110-meter Olympic hurdles victory in world-record time. It seemed a calling card for what China has cooking for 2008.
"China's performance in these Games," Rogge said, "make this, for me, the awakening of the Asian continent. We see a lot of work and investment being done in sport in China and other Asian nations."
Rogge noted that he has met with government officials in Italy to encourage government funding for its athletes at the 2006 Turin Winter Games, and he said he will do the same with Canadian officials regarding the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
"This is part of a traditional role of the IOC, to encourage support of sport," Rogge said. "I don't think I'll have to do this in Beijing."