2008 Event of the Year

The 2008 Beijing Olympics Official Logo

2008 Event of the Year:

XXIX Summer Olympic Games
Beijing, China, Asia

Aside from the names of people who made marks on their fields and places which mesmerized the entire world, 2008 has also been a year of events. Among the events that gained worldwide attention include the current world financial crisis, the US presidential election which put the first Afro-American president of the nation, the Mumbai attacks, the earthquake that shook China, a more supported Earth Hour, and the event that took most of the world's acclaim, this year, the XXIX Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

Attracting the most number of Olympic spectators–from ticket sales, to TV ratings, and to web pay-per-view subscribers–the Beijing Games has set a record as having the largest bulk of audience in Olympic history. The Beijing Games was opened by no other than China's President Hu Jintao on the 8^th of August at the multi-billion dollar and newly constructed stadium exclusively for the Games–the Bird's Nest. Other leaders from competing nations attended the extravagant opening ceremonies, which included the attendance of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Not less than 204 National Olympic Committees from all over the planet participated in the fifteen-day event of 28 sporting disciplines or 302 events.

The one-of-a-kind Beijing National Stadium, popularly known as the "Bird's Nest".

The Games saw 43 new world records and 132 new Olympic records set. A record 87 countries won a medal during the Games. Chinese athletes won 51 gold medals altogether, the second largest haul by a national team in a modern, non-boycotted Summer Games. Swimmer Michael Phelps of the United States broke the record for most gold medals in one Olympics and for most career gold medals for an Olympian. Usain Bolt of Jamaica secured the traditional title "World's Fastest Man" by setting new world records in the 100m and 200m sprints.

Demonstration-sport wushu was introduced to the world in the hope of its inclusion in the quadrennial event. China dominated the wushu-medal-tally–not counted in the official medals count–tallying with the most number of wushu gold medals. Philippines went home empty-handed from the regular Olympic events it participated. In consolation of the third straight zero-medal-output of the country, was a gold medal and a bronze medal from the demonstration-sport wushu. This has been a second time that the Philippines has won gold from demonstration-sports. The first time was in the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympic Games wherein a Filipina pocketed a gold medal in the master's event of the demonstration-sport bowling–till now bowling hasn't been included in the Olympic program.

The closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Games were graced by magnificent performances from the host-country and 2012 host-country Great Britain. The final-medal-tally officially proclaimed the birth of a new sports superpower, China, which occupied the first place with 51 gold medals. In second and third were the United States with 36 gold medals and Russia with 23 gold medals. Rounding the top five were Great Britain, fourth with 19 gold medals, and Germany, fifth with 16 gold medals. Included in the top ten were Australia, South Korea, Japan, Italy, and France.

One with the Olympics in celebrating humanity, "One World, One Dream", the Beijing Games deserves ten stars!!!

Photo Credit: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1117/533266226_dd979eaa90.
http://sapporo.metrocs.jp/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/beijing_national_stadium.