Special Report: 2008 Olympic Games 

    BEIJING, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is pleased by the smooth organization of the Beijing Olympic Games, said IOC president Jacques Rogge here on the closing day of the Games on Sunday.

    Rogge, speaking at the press conference prior to the closing ceremony of the 17-day sports gala in the Chinese capital, praised the Games organizers.

    "The International Olympic Committee is extremely pleased by the organization of the Games. BOCOG has dearly put the athletes in the center of these Games," said the 66-year-old Belgian.

    "We have the splendid village. We have the state-of-the-art venues and we have incredible operation," he said.

    Opening on July 27, the 66-hectare Olympic Village provided accommodation to 15,000 athletes and officials from 204 countries and regions.

    "Thanks to the efforts by the village's service team, we have received 49 compliment letters and no complaints," said Deng Yaping, the famed Olympic table tennis champion and deputy village head.

    The village also received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold award presented by the U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson for its environmentally-friendly design.

    The national stadium "Bird's Nest" and national aquatic center "Water Cube" have already became landmark architectures in Beijing, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists just for a distant look at the stadiums. These venues will be opened to the public after the Paralympics.

    The Games also saw brilliant sport performance which helped to draw millions of audience worldwide.

    By the end of Saturday, a total of 43 world records were set and more than 120 Olympic records were renewed as record-breaking American swimmer Michael Phelps and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt emerged as the super stars at the Games.

    "We have two icons from the Games, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt," said Rogge.

    Phelps wrote a new page in the Olympic history book when the 23-year-old Maryland native broke seven world records and grabbed eight gold medals in the Water Cube which made him the most crowned athlete in the Olympic history, with 14 titles in total from two Games.

    Bolt, 22, was in a class of his own in the sprint events with three gold medals and three world records in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.

    Beijing Olympic Broadcasting (BOB), the official broadcaster of the Games, produced more than 5,000 hours of programs during the 17-day competition and the ratings are good.

    "We were very pleased... the ratings of broadcasting are up to 20 to 30 percent in most markets," said Rogge.

    IOC Television and Marketing Services director Timo Lumme said on Wednesday that the Beijing Olympic Games look to be the biggest broadcast event in the Olympic history with the Games coverage provided for viewers in around 200 countries and regions worldwide through the rights holding broadcast partners.

    The opening ceremony alone attracted 842 million audience in China and the figures from the major markets of the world had in general surpassed those for the opening ceremonies of the Sydney and Athens Games, he said.

Rogge: Olympics enhances mutual understanding between China and rest of world

    BEIJING, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- International Olympic Commitee president Jacques Rogge said on Sunday that the Beijing Olympics has helped enhance mutual understanding between China and the rest of the world.

    "The most intangible legacy, but also very important one, is that through the Games, China has been scrutinized by the world, has opened up to the world," Rogge told a press conference before the closing ceremony of the Aug. 8-24 Games. Full story

IOC determined to curb size of Olympic Games

    BEIJING, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will endeavor to keep the size of the Olympic Games under control and manageable for future host cities, IOC president Jacques Rogge said here on Sunday.

    "We are very keen on keeping the number of 10,500 athletes," Rogge told a press conference hours before the closing ceremony of the Beijing Games.  Full story

Rogge: go or stay, wait to see in October

    BEIJING, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said on Sunday that he would make known in October whether he will stand for re-election next year at the IOC session in Copenhagen.

    "I will announce my decision in October," Rogge told a press conference hours before the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. "It will be announced first to IOC members, and then to the media."  Full story