Race On as Olympic Countdown Gathers Pace

The historic arrival in Beijing this June of the Olympic Torch for the 2004 Athens Games symbolises the importance of this year to the capital's own plans for 2008.

Jiang Xiaoyu, the Vice-President of BOCOG (Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad) said the importance of 2004 for Beijing's future plans rests not only in the construction work of key facilities such as gymnasiums but also a whole series of colourful cultural events.

At a press briefing, Zhang Ming,the Deputy Director of BOCOG's Culture and Ceremonies Department confirmed that the Athens Olympic Torch would arrive in Beijing on June 8.

She said: "Some 120 people will hand down the torch from one to another over a distance of 45 to 65 kilometres." It would be the first time the torch arrived in China. In total in will pass through 35 cities in 27 countries.

From June 23 to July 13, the second Olympic Cultural Festival will be held with the aim of promoting communication between the East and the West through cultural activities.

Also this year, the auspicious animal for the 2008 Olympics will be designed and selected. The results will be reported to the IOC at the beginning of next year.

The emblem for the next Special Olympics will be unveiled during the closing ceremony of this year's Games in Athens.

On August 29, the mayor of Beijing will receive the Olympic flag from the President of the International Organising Committee of the Olympic Games. That will be followed by a 10-minute performance by Chinese people at the closing ceremony of the Athens Games.

A clock counting down the remaining days until the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics will be seen at Tiananmen Square from September 1. Later in the year, similar clocks will appear at the Great Wall, Beijing International Airport, Wangfujing Shopping Street and Beijing Railway Station.

BOCOG is also this year considering the latest crop of entries for the 2008 Olympic theme song.