When you think about the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, which memory is the most vivid? The opening ceremony held on August 8, 2008? The champions of your favorite sports? Or, maybe, it's the smiling faces of the volunteers that made the special event possible? Did you know that PKU had a significant role during the Games? Let’s revisit this important period of China's and PKU's history.
PKU’s Gymnasium & the 2008 Olympics
PKU’s Khoo Teck Puat Gymnasium (邱德拔体育馆) was constructed for the table tennis events of the 2008 Summer Olympics and the Paralympics and has a remarkable history behind it:
2004 - Plans for construction of a new Peking University gymnasium began.
2006 - The Khoo Teck Puat Foundation donated more than 100 million Yuan towards its development and afterwards it was renamed in honor of Mr. Khoo.
2008 – The gymnasium functioned as the venue for the table tennis events of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
- Timeline of Khoo Teck Puat Gymnasium's history
10 years ago, it is in this venue that China won all of the gold medals in table tennis during the competitions.
Next time you swing by the gym for a little exercise, you could stop by the statue of four people playing table tennis just at the bottom of the main stairs. As a landmark in celebration of the tradition of table tennis in the Olympics, all the table tennis gold medallists’ names since the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics are carved into the side. As proof of China’s proud table tennis history, all but a few are Chinese.
PKU’s Volunteers for the 2008 Olympics
PKU was also a pioneer in the 2008 Olympic volunteer activities. The “Professional Volunteer Training for Olympic Media Operations” program was launched at PKU on January 15, 2007. The training program was the first among all the other volunteer training programs for the Olympics.
Since the beginning of the volunteer recruitment for the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games, there were more than 5,000 PKU students and teachers who applied for volunteer positions, not including the media operations team.
Over 600 students from PKU, including 34 international students, participated in the media operations volunteer training program. Soon after, the training program would also be available to students of other universities in Beijing.
The PKU students went through 4 training sessions within 112 hours, aimed at understanding media operations of the Olympic Games.
More than half of the students would appear at the 2018 Olympics’ venues to provide media operations-related volunteer services to more than 20,000 journalists.
PKU and the 2008 Olympics’ Medical Care
Volunteers from PKU not only assisted journalists during the games, but also volunteered in providing medical and health services to athletes, referees, and audience members at the 2008 Olympics and Paralympics venues.
All five of the hospitals affiliated to PKU, as Olympic Games-designated hospitals, were responsible for the medical and health services at different stadiums and venues.
In May 2017, Peking University’s Third Hospital was entrusted by the Olympic Committee with the duty of training 1,000 medical volunteers for the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics with first aid knowledge.
A total of 90 student volunteers from 8 higher education institutions in Beijing also received first aid training from the PKU Third Hospital. In light of the great contributions that the hospital made, it was bestowed with the title of “Beijing Olympics Training Base”.
What Makes a Champion? Forum at PKU
Allan Snyder | Founder of What Makes a Champion? Forum
The second What Makes a Champion?™ Forum was an official cultural event for the 2008 Olympics, held by Peking University prior to the games. It elevated PKU’s participation into the realm of discussing how culture and society shape our approach to championship –– championship across all fields of endeavors.
Jointly organized by the Center for the Mind at the University of Sydney and Peking University, this event was also supported by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) of the XXIX Olympiad and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The forum was also a highlight of Peking University's 110th anniversary celebrations.
Juan Antonio Samaranch | former President of the IOC (left);
Lin Jianhua | the then Executive Vice President of PKU (right)
Former President of the IOC Juan Antonio Samaranch attended the forum, and he spoke highly of China’s development, especially the big changes the country underwent as it was prepared to host the 2018 Summer Olympics.
“I am an old friend to China, and have long been wishing that Beijing could host a successful Olympics. For me, China’s success is my success,” said Mr. Samaranch during the forum.
Tony Blair | Former Prime Minister of the UK
During the forum, the former Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair shared his insight into what characteristics champions have. Additionally, there were other extraordinary individuals from the East and West who participated in three panels to examine the essence of great accomplishment as well as championship.
Among the guests at the forum were Henry Kissinger, Tony Blair, IOC President Jacques Rogge, Jackie Chan, Ian Thorpe, Lord Sebastian Coe, Nobel Prize winner Hao Weimin, Oscar winner Tan Dun, International Chopin Prize pianist Li Yundi, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Kevan Gosper, Olympic Gold Medallists Yang Yang, Luo Xuejuan and Lou Yun, corporate CEOs, and many more.
Henry Kissinger | Former United States Secretary of State
Ian Thorpe | Australian swimmer and Olympic gold medal winner (left);
Yang Yang | Chinese short track speed skater and gold medalist at the 2002 Winter Olympics (right)
Tan Dun | Chinese contemporary classical composer and conductor (second to the left)
Ten years after the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, PKU is still striving for excellence in sports and athletics as well as encouraging more students to take part in physical exercise, which is an integral part of students' education and lives at PKU.
10 Years On, PKU’s Olympic Spirit Perseveres
Writers: Jessie Gammon, Xu Haolun
Editors: Amanda, EAS
Photos: Wang Tiantian and others
Designer: Xu Haolun
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