The big Olympic stories

 

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By Mohammed Patel, 7 Aug 2008 Mohammed Patel is a Roar Rookie

Tagged:

 athletes, Beijing, China, swimming

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With just one day remaining before the opening ceremony, terrorist attacks, ticketing scams and smog dominate the media headlines.

Yesterday, sixteen police were killed in an alleged terrorist attack after home-made bombs rocked the Muslim city of Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang province.

According to Chinese state media, the two attackers were arrested immediately.

But despite the arrests (and attempts by China to play down the incident), a cloud of fear will no doubt be cast upon the Olympics, an event which was originally established to encourage global harmony.

Meanwhile, you could purchase tickets online from beijingticketing.com just yesterday. Today, the site has been shut down by US authorities after revelations of it being fraudulent were uncovered.

According to The Age, more than $50 million dollars worth of fake tickets have been sold through the website.

Back to Beijing, and the issue of smog which has been subject to controversy in the past, continues to resurface just before the opening ceremony.
Images on Fox Sports show the dramatic difference just one day can make to the picturesque Beijing Birds Nest stadium.

Aussie beach volleyballer Natalie Cook told The Australian she felt a dramatic change in atmosphere when she woke up.

“The air quality being a bit thicker, I did feel it today when I got out of bed, whereas (Sunday) was perfect,” Cook said.

And while our Aussie swimming team may have thought they were shielded from the outdoor smog, a haze which blanketed the ceiling of the Water Cube venue greeted the athletes – much to their surprise.

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