2008 Beijing Olympics news stories on Newser

Olympic Marathon Champ Commits Suicide

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 16 May 2011 05:49:00 CDT

Kenyan Olympic marathon gold medalist Sammy Wanjiru leaped to his death from the balcony of his apartment following a heated argument with his wife, authorities said. Wanjiru, 24, had been drinking when his wife found him with another woman in their home in Nyahururu, said police. Efforts to revive him...

IOC Strips China's 2000 Bronze Medal

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:23:11 CDT

China was stripped of a bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics today for fielding an underage female gymnast, with the women's team medal now going to the US. The International Olympic Committee acted after investigations by the sport's governing body determined that Dong Fangxiao was only 14 at the...

Google's Brin: China Too 'Totalitarian'

Nick McMaster — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:06:27 CDT

Google's decision to stop service in China was based on the company's growing unease about the compromises required by Beijing, co-founder Sergey Brin tells the Wall Street Journal . The censorship exercised by the government reminded him of life in the Soviet Union, which Brin and his parents left when he...

Evan Lysacek Wants a Girlfriend

M. Morris — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:07:24 CST

Never mind the rumors about Evan Lysacek dating gymnast Nastia Liukin—the Olympic champion in men's figure skating is single and looking. "I haven't had any time for dating while I'm training," Lysacek tells Entertainment Tonight . "I'm lonely." As for Liukin, herself an Olympic gold medalist, "we're very close friends...

DVR-Worthy Olympic Moments

Will McCahill — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:03:00 CST

If, like many, your interest in the Vancouver Games is lukewarm (kinda like the weather keeping the ski slopes snow-free), Esquire provides a list of the don’t-miss Olympic moments. Some highlights: Friday: Opening ceremonies. Vancouver’s spending less than half the $100 million Beijing did in 2008. Or you can rent...

China Censors Artist Leading Quake Inquiry

Jason Farago — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:45:08 CDT

The Chinese artist who has made investigating the deaths of children in the Sichuan earthquake a personal crusade is facing a government crackdown, reports the CBC. Ai Weiwei's widely read blog has been deleted, and plainclothes police officers are staking out his studio in Beijing. Ai has relaunched his blog...

How China Rewrote Tiananmen History

Matt Cantor — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:59:02 CDT

The Tiananmen Square massacre isn’t something the Chinese government wants the world to remember, and it's doing a good job keeping the matter quiet, writes Terrence Cheng in the Chronicle of Higher Education . In China, “those who dare to speak about it are swiftly silenced,” he writes. “The fading concern...

Suspension Over, Phelps Prepares for Meet

Harry Kimball — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:02:07 CDT

Michael Phelps’ suspension ended today, and the swimmer is back in the pool preparing for a tourney next week in Charlotte, the AP reports. The Olympian said he was actually unaware of the end of the 3-month ban, imposed after photos emerged of him hitting a bong. “I had no...

Usain Bolt Crashes Gift Car, Walks Away

Ambreen Ali — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:46:02 CDT

Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt walked away from a car accident in Jamaica with no apparent injuries except a thorn in his foot. The world champion sprinter crashed his BMW M3—a gift from sponsor Puma for his performance in Beijing—after speeding down a wet highway, the Guardian reports....