The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and also known as Beijing 2008, were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competed in 28 sports and 302 events, one event more than those scheduled for the 2004 Summer Olympics. This was the first time China had hosted the Olympic Games, and the third time the Summer Olympic Games had been held in East Asia, following the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. These were also the second Summer Olympic Games to be held in a communist state, the first being the 1980 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union.
China competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's ninth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1952. A total of 384 Chinese athletes, 136 men and 248 women, were selected by the Chinese Olympic Committee to compete in 28 sports. For the third time in its Olympic history, China was represented by more female than male athletes.
Hong Kong competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. It was the territory's thirteenth appearance at the Olympics and, at the opening ceremony, its team was the last to enter the stadium before the host nation because of the use of the Greek alphabet.
The People's Republic of China competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The team excluded athletes from the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, after the territory's return to Chinese rule in 1997, and which competed separately as Hong Kong, China.
Sports in Hong Kong are a significant part of its culture. Due to British influence going as far back as the late 19th century, Hong Kong had an earlier introduction to Western athletics compared to other Asia regions.
Lee Wai Tong was a Hong Kong and Chinese international association football player, head coach, and former Vice President of FIFA. He is often regarded as the greatest Chinese footballer due to his accomplishments in winning several Far Eastern Games titles with the national team of the Republic of China as well as captaining the national football squad to their first ever Olympic tournament in 1936, which was held in Berlin.
Originally having participated in Olympics as the delegation of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1924 to 1976, China competed at the Olympic Games under the name of the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the first time in 1952, at the Summer Games in Helsinki, Finland, although they only arrived in time to participate in one event. That year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed both the PRC and ROC to compete, although the latter withdrew in protest. Due to the dispute over the political status of China, the PRC did not participate in the Olympics again until the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, United States. Their first appearance at the Summer Olympic Games after 1952 was the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. The People's Republic of China staged boycotts of the Games of the XVI Olympiad in Melbourne Australia, Games of the XVII Olympiad in Rome Italy, Games of the XVIII Olympiad in Tokyo Japan, Games of the XIX Olympiad in Mexico City Mexico, Games of the XX Olympiad in Munich Germany, and Games of the XXI Olympiad in Montreal Canada. China also boycott the Games of the XXII Olympiad in Moscow USSR due to the American-led boycott and the ongoing Sino-Soviet split, together with the other countries.
Germany competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. A total of 439 athletes were nominated to participate in the Games. The German Olympic Sports Confederation nominated athletes on 29 May, 23 June and 15 July 2008. Reaching the qualification standard set by the relevant sport's international governing body did not automatically mean that the athlete was nominated for Beijing, as the DOSB had stricter qualification standards. An athlete needed to have a somewhat realistic chance for a top 12 position. An exception to this are the team events, as the number of competing teams is already very limited through the IOC standards, and a chance for a respective place is already given by the qualification.
Hong Kong first competed at the Olympic Games in 1952, then as a British colony. Hong Kong has participated at every Summer Olympic Games since then except for the boycotted 1980 Games, and has also participated in the Winter Olympic Games since 2002. Hong Kong won its first medal/gold medal in 1996, and a second gold medal in the 2020 Games. Apart from those, Hong Kong has also won seven other medals, three silver, and four bronze. Its best performance to-date was the 2020 Summer Olympics, winning one gold, two silver and three bronze medals.
Brazil sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, in August 2008. Brazilian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1920, except the 1928 Summer Olympics. The country is represented by the Brazilian Olympic Committee. Brazil headed to the Beijing Games with its largest Olympic delegation at the time, 277 athletes, including 132 women.
China was the host nation of the 2008 Summer Olympics. China was represented by the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC), and the team of selected athletes were officially known as Team China.
Sweden sent a team to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. This is a list of all of the Swedish athletes who participated in the Olympics.
New Zealand took part in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The country sent 182 competitors, making this its largest ever delegation to the Olympic Games. It was also one of the most successful, equalling New Zealand's combined medal tally from the previous two Summer games. On 16 August – dubbed "Super Saturday" by journalists – New Zealand had its greatest single day at any Olympics, winning 5 medals: two gold, one silver and two bronze. New Zealand also gained its first Olympic track medal since 1976 when Nick Willis won the silver medal in the men's 1500 metres, becoming the sixth New Zealander to win an Olympic medal in that event. The success at the Olympics has boosted Athletics participation since then.
South Korea competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. This is a list of all of the South Korean athletes who qualified for the Olympics and their results. South Korea sent a delegation of 267 athletes to these games.
Nigeria competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics which were held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008.
The People's Republic of China competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the United Kingdom, between 27 July and 12 August 2012. This was the nation's ninth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1952. A total of 396 Chinese athletes, 171 men and 225 women, were selected by the Chinese Olympic Committee to compete in 23 sports. For the fourth time in its Olympic history, China was represented by more female than male athletes.
Hong Kong competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the territory's sixteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics, since its debut as a British colony in 1952.
China has qualified to send athletes to the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016. Sports China competed in include blind football, archery, boccia, cycling, goalball, judo, paracanoeing, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball.
Hong Kong competed at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, from 18 August to 2 September 2018. Hong Kong made its debut at the Asian Games in 1954 Manila, and the best achievement for the territory was in 2010 Asian Games held in neighboring Guangzhou, finishing with 8 gold, 15 silver and 17 bronze medals totaling 40 medals. At the previous edition in held 4 years later in Incheon, the total number of medals increased to 42, but the number of gold medals fell to 6, In Indonesia the performance of local athletes was satisfactory, improving the results obtained in 2010 and 2014 with 46 medals achieving the best results at the games.
The United States of America, represented by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), is scheduled to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris from 26 July to 11 August 2024. U.S. athletes have appeared in every Summer Olympic Games edition of the modern era, except for Moscow 1980, when the Americans led a sixty-six-nation boycott in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. As Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics, the United States will march penultimately before the homebound French team enters Place du Trocadéro during the parade of nations segment of the opening ceremony. Additionally, an American segment will be performed during the closing ceremony.
China (1952–)
Chinese Taipei (1956–)
