The Olympic Flag

On the Olympic flag, the rings appear on a white background.

The flag reinforces the idea of the Olympic Movement's universality, as it brings together all the countries of the world.

Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, explains the meaning of the flag:

"The Olympic flag [...] has a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red [...] This design is symbolic; it represents the five continents of the world, united by Olympism, while the six colours are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present time." (1931)

Textes choisis II, p.470.

Combined in this way, the six colours of the flag (including the white of the background) represent all nations.

It is wrong, therefore, to believe that each of the colours cor-responds to a certain continent !

At the Olympic Games, the flag is brought into the stadium during the opening ceremony. Since the 1960 Games in Rome (Italy), it has been carried horizontally by a delegation of athletes or other people well known for their positive work in society.

After its arrival, the flag is hoisted up the flagpole. It must fly in the stadium during the whole of the Games. When the flag is lowered at the closing ceremony, it signals the end of the Games.

The mayor of the host city of the Games passes the Olympic flag to the mayor of the next host city of the Games.

History Even though Pierre de Coubertin intended the Olympic Games to be an international event from the time of their re-establishment in 1896 in Athens (Greece), it was only at the 1912 Games in Stockholm (Sweden) that, for the first time, the participants came from all five continents. One year later, in 1913, the five rings appeared at the top of a letter written by Pierre de Coubertin. He drew the rings and coloured them in by hand. He then described this symbol in the Olympic Review of August 1913.

It was also Coubertin who had the idea for the Olympic flag. He presented the rings and flag in June 1914 in Paris at the Olympic Congress.

The First World War prevented the Games from being celebrated in 1916 in Berlin (Germany) as planned. It was not until 1920 in Antwerp (Belgium) that the flag and its five rings could be seen flying in an Olympic stadium.

The universality conveyed by the rings and the flag was a new idea at the beginning of the 20th century. Nationalism was very strong and tension between certain countries was high. It was in this climate, however, that Coubertin proposed a symbol which aimed to encourage world unity.

China sets pollution reduction targets for 2008

China will aim this year to reduce its emissions of sulphur dioxide by 6 percent from their 2005 levels as it steps up efforts to fight pollution, its top environmental official said in remarks published on Tuesday.

The official Xinhua news agency cited Zhou Shengxian, head of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), as saying that the government would close many small coal-fired power plants, as well as steel mills and cement plants, to cut emissions of the acid rain-causing pollutant.

Zhou also said the government aimed to reduce COD, or chemical oxygen demand, a measure of water pollution, by 5 percent from its 2005 level this year.

Zhou said that Beijing would work with five other provinces and municipalities surrounding it to control air pollution during the Olympics, including by limiting traffic and shutting down polluting factories.

"We will make full use of the Olympic air quality coordinating teams this year to improve regional cooperation and implement relevant measures," Zhou said, according to Xinhua.

Authorities will step up the country's waste water treatment capacity by 12 million tonnes this year, with the aim of making sure all waste water in 36 major cities is treated by the end of next year, he said.

Sulphur dioxide and COD are primitive indicators of overall environmental health.

China has promised to cut the two pollution measures by 10 percent between 2006 and 2010.

Ticket For Beijing Olympic Avalaible for purchace

© BOCOG

Tickets for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games are now available to Olympic fans worldwide through various channels depending on their country of residence.

Chinese residents wishing to obtain Beijing 2008 Olympic tickets should visit the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) website.

Olympic fans from other countries looking for information regarding Beijing 2008 Olympic tickets should contact the National Olympic Committee (NOC) in their territory of residence. Some NOCs may have designated an Official Ticket Agent in order to assist the general public to obtain tickets and services related to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

To find out where you can purchase tickets for the Games please visit the official BOCOG ticketing website.

Fans are reminded that only tickets purchased from or obtained through official/authorised sources will enable entry to venues. Detailed information on official/authorised ticket sources, in particular a list of authorised ticket resellers (in China and internationally) is available on the official Beijing 2008 ticketing website. Fans having purchased or obtained tickets from unofficial or unauthorised sources run the risk of having those tickets cancelled, being refused entry and/or being asked to leave the venue, without receiving a refund or qualifying for an exchange of ticket. Neither the International Olympic Committee nor BOCOG nor any NOC may be held liable for any consequence (such as, without limitation, any loss or damage) related to a ticket purchased from or obtained through an unauthorised or unofficial source.

Sejarah Olimpiade

Olimpiade merupakan ajang olahraga yang diadakan setiap empat tahun sekali dan diikuti oleh seluruh negara di dunia yang terdaftar di Komite Olimpiade Internasional (IOC).

Awalnya hanya berlangsung di Yunani kuno, Olimpiade kemudian dihidupkan kembali oleh seorang bangsawan Perancis, Pierre Frèdy, Baron de Coubertin pada akhir abad ke-19. Olimpiade yang lebih dikenal di Indonesia, Olimpiade musim panas, telah diadakan setiap empat tahun sekali sejak 1896, kecuali tahun-tahun pada masa Perang Dunia II.

Edisi khusus untuk olahraga musim dingin, Olimpiade musim dingin, dimulai pada 1924. Awalnya ini diadakan pada tahun yang sama dengan Olimpiade musim panas, namun sejak 1994 Olimpiade musim dingin diadakan setiap empat tahun sekali, dengan selang dua tahun setelah Olimpiade musim panas.

Pada 2004, Olimpiade kembali ke "rumah" lamanya di Yunani untuk Olimpiade XXVIII. Dan Olimpiade 2008 yang akan diadakan di Beijing - China.

Sumber : Wikipedia