Today marks the one-year countdown to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. As the symbolic "365" flashes on the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games countdown clock in front of the Chinese National Museum, the reality of the Olympics somehow seems more real -- more so than when "1000" days, or "500" days or any other number of days blinked on the countdown clock before. We are now racing full speed ahead toward the Olympics!
In the six years since Beijing bid for the Olympic dream on July 13, 2001, different aspects of the preparations for the Games have progressed steadily, including venue construction, Olympic volunteer recruitment, accommodations, etc.
Also during this time, the official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has gone from its nascent existence and developed into a comprehensive resource that serves as an important window of access to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
It has been the relentless mission of the official website to find the best ways to seamlessly offer authoritative, fast, accurate, comprehensive news and information services to internet users worldwide in a responsible way. Accordingly the official website strives to carry forward the Olympic spirit and to promote Beijing and the Olympic objectives.
We remain unrelenting in our struggle to create the best official website for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, with three main goals:
1. Create a platform internationally recognized as the only authoritative, accurate, fast, comprehensive platform for Olympic news
Providing up-to-the-minute announcements, news, and press conference information related to the Olympic Games is the official website's job. During Games-time, we will offer live score reports for competition results, technical statistics, medal results, etc. The website will eventually be available in five languages¡ªChinese, English, French, Spanish, and Arabic¡ªto give internet users everywhere equal access to timely Olympic information
2. Create a platform that caters to the different needs of different customers
The official website aims to offer comprehensive and varied services targeted to individual customer groups including the media, spectators, sports enthusiasts, volunteers, etc.
3. Create an influential platform for activity planning and promotion
The official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games provides a platform for people everywhere to participate in the Olympic Games. Examples in the past included the "Olympic Families Tour Beijing" activity, the voting activity for the top 10 news stories of the year, and the Honorary Website Visitor campaign.
Mr. Jacques Rogge said in a recent interview with the official website, "To all the visitors I would say the best thing that would happen in 2008 is the Beijing Olympic Games. Watch the website."
We hope you will allow the official website to accompany you on the final stretch to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games celebrations, just one year away.
