August 8, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. marks the start of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, China. The slogan of the 2008 Olympic Games is “One World, One Dream,” expressing the idea of the Olympics as something shared by the global community.

Games Emblem

The emblem of the 2008 Olympic Games is called “Chinese Seal – Dancing Beijing.” It was created from the Chinese character “Jing,” which represents the city of Beijing. The emblem is red to represent the color of China.

Mascots

The mascots for the 2008 games are named the “Friendlies.” Already featured prominently in Beijing, the names of the Friendlies, when said together in Chinese, form the phrase “Beijing Huanying Ni,” or “Beijing Welcomes You.” The five mascots each represent something different: Beibei, a fish; Jingjin, a panda; Huanhuan, the Olympic flame; Yingying, a Tibetan antelope; and Nini, a swallow.

Olympic Flame

The Olympic Flame will be lit in Olympia, Greece, on March 25, 2008. It will be carried across Greece to Panathinaiko Stadium, the site of the first modern Olympic Games, and from there head to Beijing. A highlight of 2008 torch relay will be the attempt to carry the flame to the highest peak in the world, Mt. Qomolangma.

Olympic Torch Relay Web site

Medals

Jade, known in China as the “royal gem,” will accent the 2008 Olympic medals. All three medals will have the traditional design on the front featuring Nike, the goddess of Victory, and the Panathinaikos Arena, but each will have a different color jade on the reverse. White jade will be used for the gold medals, dark green jade for the silver medals, and light green jade for the bronze medals. The band of jade on the reverse will surround the 2008 Beijing logo engraved in the center.
 
Opening Ceremonies

The opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games will be on August 8, 2008, at 8:08:08 p.m., China Standard Time (12 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time) in the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest.

The Bird’s Nest

USRowing does not have tickets for the opening ceremony and cannot obtain them. If you are interested in attending the opening ceremony, tickets may be purchased through the USOC’s official ticket agent, CoSport.