Beijing 2008: Games Programme Finalised
With two-and-a-half years to go until the start of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad - Beijing 2008, the Olympic programme for these Games has now been finalised. A total of 28 sports will feature on the programme for the Beijing Games. These 28 sports are made up of 302 events, comprising 165 men’s events, 127 women’s events and 10 mixed events.
Increase In Women’s Events For many years now, the IOC has made increasing the participation of women in the Olympic Games one of its priorities. The changes approved by the IOC’s Executive Board (EB) concerning the events on the 2008 programme are in line with this philosophy. In Beijing, the number of women’s events will be 127, an increase of two events, compared to the 125 events held in Athens, and this will see approximately 130 additional female athletes competing in China in 2008.
New Events On The Programme
There have been several new events added to the programme for the Beijing 2008 Games as well as one new discipline - BMX. These new events include the women’s 3,000 metre steeplechase, men’s and women’s BMX, women’s foil and sabre team events, men’s and women’s marathon swimming 10km events and the replacement of the doubles events in table tennis by team events.
Beijing 2008 The Games of the XXIX Olympiad – Beijing 2008 will take place from 8 August 2008 until 24 August 2008. The Games in Beijing will play host to the 28 summer sports currently on the Olympic programme. Approximately 10,500 athletes are expected to participate in the Games with around 20,000 accredited media bringing the Games to the world.
Programme of the Games of the XXIX Oxympiad, Beijing 2008