The countdown for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games began Wednesday when a giant clock, 14 metres high and 5.5 metres wide, erected at the entrance to the National Museum of China in front of the Tiananmen Square, started ticking.
In what was called a simple but significant ceremony the countdown clock was jointly started at 6:00 p.m. by Liu Jingmin, executive vice president of BOCOG, a Beijing citizen, Athens Olympic Games gold medallist Wang Yifu, and Stephen Urquhart, President of OMEGA.
At the same time a countdown clock was erected in Qingdao, the host city for the 2008 sailing events.
BOCOG Vice President Jiang Xiaoyu said at the ceremony, “the countdown clock for the Beijing 2008 will be a new sight in the city symbolizing the concept of People’s Olympics, and it will also serve as a window to showcase Beijing. The clock will witness the realization of China’s century-long Olympic dream and will add fresh impetus to the preparations for the Olympic Games”.
The clock was provided, installed and will be maintained by OMEGA, a subsidiary company of the Swatch Group, a TOP partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
