Olympic Triathlon Events: China Olympics 2008

The 2008 Summer Olympics are scheduled to be held in the city of Beijing, in the People’s Republic of China, between August 8 and 24. Beijing received the honor of hosting the games after an exhaustive ballot in 2001, and the Chinese government has been promoting the games heavily in order to highlight what is seen as China’s emergence onto the world stage.

However, there has been a great deal of controversy surrounding the location of the Olympics. China’s human rights record has caused many people to believe that holding the Olympic games in this location is inappropriate. The carrying of the Olympic Torch, beginning in March, has been fraught with problems.

Protests over China’s treatment of Tibetans and other people within its borders have been a common sight, and there have been a number of attempts to put out the torch. In Paris, one attempt was successful, and it was necessary to relight it. The course of the torch carrying was altered in San Francisco to prevent similar problems. Over the course of its route, the flame was carried to the top of Mount Everest, up a specially built highway.

Additional concerns about the location of the 2008 Olympics include air pollution problems and the possibility of the games being targeted by terrorist organizations. However, the torch finished its trip safely, and the Olympic games are scheduled to go on.

You can find out more about triathlon on the following pages:

Triathlon results
Find out the latest information on the Olympic Triathlon Events

Triathlon schedule
A list of dates and times for all triathlon events at the Olympics

Triathlon events
Information on each of the events that makes up the triathlon

Triathlon shop
Sportswear and equipment suitable for triathlon events and training

Training for triathlon
How to train to ensure you are ready to participate in a triathlon