According to the official Olympics website, there will be 302 total sporting events encompassing 28 sports at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This year one new sporting discipline has been added while four new events have been added. With so many events going on, it is essential to read magazines for detailed Olympic Game coverage.
The only new sporting discipline added to the Olympics this year is BMX or bicycle motorcross racing. There will be two BMX events, men's and women's individual races. The races will be a traditional 8 man, 1 lap heat. The specially-built race track features the highest starting ramp in the world--a 26 foot plunge.
BMX racing is one of many biking events including road, track and mountain bike events. The roster for the Team U.S.A. BMX is Mike Day, Kyle Bennett, Jill Kinter and Donny Robinson. Read more about these athletes and the sport of BMX racing in Sports Illustrated, Men's Journal and ESPN The Magazine.
In an effort to increase female participation in the international games, the International Olympic Committee has added two women's events. The added events are the women's 3000 meter Steeplechase and women's team events in the foil and sabre fencing disciplines; approximately 130 additional female athletes will participate in these events. For more on women athletes at the Olympics, read coverage in Good Housekeeping, Runner's World and Fitness magazines.
There is also a new swimming event--the 10k Marathon Swim, a 6.2 mile race that will take about two hours. It is both a men's and women's event and will be held at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.
Table Tennis, which debuted at the Olympics in 1988 and now involves 172 athletes, will face a change this year. The Doubles event will be replaced with a team event, which will include 32 teams.
In its August 2008 issue, Men's Journal magazine recommends the following Olympic events: women's 50-meter freestyle in swimming on August 15, the men's 100-meter finals on August 16, women's beach volleyball on August 20, the decathlon on August 22, boxing finals on August 23 and men's basketball finals on August 23. The men's magazine editors highly recommend these events and promise them to be the most exciting match-ups of the games.
Many men's magazines like Men's Health, Maxum and Muscle & Fitness and sports magazines like Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine are currently featuring Olympic athlete profiles as part of their Olympic coverage.
About the Author
For more on this year's Olympic sports, visit http://www.magazines.com/ncom/mag?id=4157046011711&subject=0034
Jessica Vandelay is a free-lance writer in New York City.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
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