Iraq has been
banned from participating in the Beijing Olympics because the government replaced the country's Olympic committee originally elected in 2004. The Olympic Charter states that all nations must have committees free from political influence. Now, Iraq's seven qualifying athletes — two rowers, two sprinters, an archer, a weightlifter, and a judo competitor — cannot fulfill their Olympic dreams because of their government's quarrel with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The Olympic Games have been going on since 776 BC! That's a whoooole lot of time for trivia. Did you know that when you put together the names of
this year's five Olympic mascots — Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni — they say "Welcome to Beijing?"
Traffic restrictions started in Beijing over the weekend in a frantic effort to try and
improve the city's air quality before the start of the Games. By only allowing vehicles with odd-numbered license plates into the city on alternating days with evens, officials hope the halving of traffic will take 60 percent of the city's 3.3 million cars off the roads and reduce emissions by two-thirds.
Though the atmospheric throat-clearing is all about
getting gussied up for company, locals are loving the effect.
The
2008 Summer Olympics don't begin for another 21 days, but anticipation and intrigue are already heating up. What to do if you can't make it to the Games in person?
BBC Sport has
created an interactive map of Beijing that lets you in on all the excitement by allowing you to peruse the 37 Olympic venues and local landmarks (like the Forbidden City and Tienanmen Square).
