BEIJING GAMES: FACTS AND FIGURES
Sport – Amazing Venues, Amazing Results
· A record 204 NOCs participating; record number of women participating
· 132 Olympic records, 43 world records (as of 24/8 at 9:30)
· A record 87 NOCs join medal count – the most ever
· First-ever medals for Afghanistan, Mauritius, Tajikistan and Togo; first-ever gold medals for Bahrain, Mongolia and Panama; first individual gold for India
· Rave reviews for venues, Olympic Village, transportation and Games organization
International Popularity – On Track To Become the Most-Watched Games in History
· More broadcast coverage to more people in more regions than ever
· First Olympic Games in history to have global digital coverage
· Record TV ratings in U.S. and China
· Record traffic to Games-related Web sites
· More visitors to IOC’s site in first week than during entire 2004 Games; site has received over 5 million unique visitors so far (compared to 2.8 million unique visitors during 2004, total)
· 16.5 million views on IOC’s digital channel (YouTube), across Africa, Asia and the Middle East
Olympic Magic – Memorable Moments
· Opening Ceremony awes international audience – Record audiences across the world’s major markets. 80 percent audience share in China. 50 percent share in U.S. and major European markets.
· Phelps wins eight gold medals
· Bolt streaks across finish line twice in 100-m and 200-m
· Georgian and Russian embrace at shooting range
· A half-million enthusiastic Chinese volunteers welcome Olympic visitors
Meeting Challenges
Doping
– Zero tolerance gets results; nearly 40 cheaters caught before the Games, 4 cheaters caught by IOC during Games
– Record number of athletes tested, stringent new testing requirements
Air Quality
– Competition opened on second consecutive day of Grade I air quality, a decade-long record for Beijing
– In the other 8 days, Beijing’s air quality was Grade II, which still fell well within WHO and IOC standards
– Stringent monitoring protects athletes’ health
Attendance
– Attendance has more than tripled since the start of the Beijing Games /source: IOC/
