Beijing 2008 Olympic Games cemented China’s status as sporting powerhouse
- August 8th marked anniversary of the opening ceremony of an Olympic Games where China dominated
- Country topped the medal table just 24 years after it won its first medal in Los Angeles – in what was essentially its debut
The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on August 8, 2008, is still regarded as China’s coming out party to the world.
The two weeks that followed Zhang Yimou’s production, which culminated with former Olympic gymnast Li Ning circling the stadium roof on a wire before lighting the Olympic cauldron, cemented China’s place among the global sporting elite.
It is easy to forget that post-1949 China first sent a delegation of more than one athlete to an Olympics for the Los Angeles Summer Games in 1984 and they had opted out of taking part in every Games between 1956 and 1980. At that Los Angeles Olympics they also won their first medals – 15 golds, eight silver and nine bronze.
In just 24 years, they want from first-timer to both host and most dominant sporting superpower, as evidenced by the medal table from Beijing.
China topped the medal table with 48 golds to the USA’s 36, winning 100 medals in total. China also swept the podiums in the men’s and women’s table tennis.