Summary

Footage Information

ABCNEWS VideoSource
China Oly One Week - Beijing reaches half-way mark of Olympic Games
08/16/2008
APTN
VSAP574821
NAME: CHN OLY ONE WK 20080816I TAPE: EF08/0831 IN_TIME: 10:09:55:09 DURATION: 00:02:51:14 SOURCES: AP TELEVISION DATELINE: Beijing - 15-16 August 2008 RESTRICTIONS: SHOTLIST: Beijing, China - August 15, 2008 1. Olympic flame burning in front of full moon 2. Wide of National Stadium (Bird's Nest) with Olympic flame and moon 3. Tilt down from moon to flame 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Giselle Davies, International Olympic Committee (IOC) Communications Director: "We don't expect perfect games, we expect games that are good for the athletes, good for the spectators,good for the media and in terms of what we see in operationally that's what we are seeing." Beijing, China - August 16, 2008 5. Various high shots of National Stadium with crowds arriving Beijing, China - August 15, 2008 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dick Fosbury, President, Olympians' Association: "It's halfway done. This story is partly told. It's too early to say, but obviously they've demonstrated how serious the athletes are and I've really enjoyed watching the excellent performances by all of the athletes, and the Chinese have proven they're just exceptional." 7. Chinese style roof with flame in background 8. Chinese gate leading to 'China Story' exhibit on Olympic Green 9. Visitors entering 'China Story' exhibition 10. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) Lu Wanting, Guizhou Province Pavillion: "You could grab any Chinese person and you find that fulfilling this 100-year dream to host the Olympics has made them very proud. It is really satisfying. And we have put a lot of passion and effort into it. That's my personal opinion. That's my personal opinion. Maybe some other people would think the medal count for China or some other goal is the most important, I can't really say... but I think the most important thing is the feeling of togetherness in this." 11. Interior of pavilion with artisans displaying traditional metalworking skills 12. Close of hammer tapping silver 13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jeff Ruffolo, Beijing Organising Committee for the Games (BOCOG) spokesman: "I would think that these would be the greatest games of the modern age. It's beyond what Sydney was, which was the platform of all Olympiads, which was (called) 'the best games.' I think we're shooting for the next level, that hurdle above, which is the 'greatest' Olympics. Because everything works and then you have all these wonderful venues on top - the cherry on top. Everything has gone great. We have just 5 major, 6 major days, left of competition. Anything can happen in 6 days - its the Olympic games... so barring aliens landing at the Olympic park we'll be okay." 14. Stone statues in the shape of animals close shot of statue eye 15. Olympic rings on Broadcast Tower 16. Olympic flame seen through dove statue 17. Wide of crowds outside National Indoor Stadium with "Beijing 2008" sign STORYLINE: A week after the Olympic flame first leapt into the night sky over Beijing's landmark Bird's Nest stadium, the Games of the XXIX Olympiad are already memorable. Protests, pollution, the rise of China as a sporting superpower, and a phenomenal performance in the pool by Michael Phelps have all vied for the headlines. But the question remains whether Beijing will be awarded that coveted title: "The best games ever." The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says the games are on track, despite the early controversies. "We don't expect perfect games, we expect games that are good for the athletes, good for the spectators, good for the media - and in terms of what we see operationally, that's what we are seeing," IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said. Veteran Olympians like Dick Fosbury - the man whose high jump technique became known globally as the "Fosbury flop" - says its still not clear where the Games will rank in Olympic history. "It's too early to say, but obviously they've demonstrated how serious the athletes are, and I've really enjoyed watching the excellent performances by all of the athletes; and the Chinese have proven they're just exceptional," Fosbury said. China's medal-table topping success so far is a source of intense national pride. Chinese tourists as well as foreigners are visiting the 'China Story' theme park in Olympic Green, where 30 pavilions showcase China's diverse provinces. "You could grab any Chinese person and you find that fulfilling this 100-year dream to host the Olympics has made them very proud," said Lu Wanting, a guide on the Guizhou Province Pavillion. The start of track and field competition in the National Stadium on Friday has also boosted crowds in Olympic Green, where a lack of atmosphere had led to early complaints. On Saturday, thousands queued to enter the massive precinct under a second consecutive day of blue skies - the haze that dogged the early days of competition blown away by Thursday's wind and rain. Beijing Organising Committee for the Games (BOCOG) spokesman Jeff Ruffolo said organisers aimed to surpass Sydney's title of "the best games ever." "I think we're shooting for the next level, that hurdle above, which is the 'greatest' Olympics," he said. "Barring aliens landing at the Olympic park we'll be okay."
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