Olympic show of strength

The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics is only a couple of weeks away, and once again a whole nation will be trying to impress the world by putting on the biggest show on the planet. This year the responsibility falls upon China to organise and fund the Olympics, but will they be able to match Sydney and Athens, and even if they can what will the long term cost be?

China have been preparing and anxiously waiting for this since 2001 when they were awarded the Games. Ever since that day a massive PR wheel was started rolling and no stone has been left unturned and no flower bed untended in order to show the world exactly what China can do.

It is no secret that in recent years the country has developed into a super power, in all senses.

With a population of over one billion, they have the depth of resources to achieve anything and that is the message they are furiously trying to get across.

Project 119

Efforts to compete in all events, and make a serious impact upon the US dominance of the medal tables have been evident and it is more than likely that for the first time they will come out on top.

Having finished fourth and then third in previous Olympics before their second place last time around, a major push is still needed to overturn the Americans.

In order to do this the government launched "Project 119" eight years ago.

The idea was that if China was to topple the US it needed to compete across a broader range of sports. Five medal-rich sports were identified as athletics, canoe/kayaking, rowing, sailing and swimming.

And these five sports accounted for 119 potential gold medals (now 122), one third of the total available. If China succeed in this project, which it looks like they will, then they will sweep the floor, leaving the US to lick their wounds.

Sacrifices

In all honesty, a country with over a billion people should dominate, and it would be a shock if they don't.The sad element of all this is the cost the Chinese government has put on this success, not only have billions of pounds been invested, but people have been kicked out of their homes, businesses have been ordered to close and communities have been destroyed.

In order to create the biggest show on earth sacrifices have had to be made, and it appears the Chinese government are unfussed what these are. With chronic pollution, political frailities involving neighbouring Tibet and nearby Burma, the success and smooth-running of the games is not certain making viewing that bit more exciting.