Air China and the Beijing 2008 Olympics

The first Ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to 776 BC. They were developed from a historical sports competition and were held in Olympia every four years. In 393 AD, the Olympic Games were banned by the Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius I because of their pagan influences. From 1875 to 1880, the German archeologist Ernst Curtius, with the funding of the German government, began excavating the Greek site of Olympia which received attention from all of Europe. In 1894, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator, established the modern Olympic Games.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin believed that through sports, youngsters could be taught the value of friendship, unity and fair play and the spirit of friendly competition among people would inspire affection and brotherhood feelings among human kind. Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on June 23, 1894. The purpose of the ICO was to organize the Olympic Games and to build a more beautiful world through sports.

The Olympic organizations and related institutions includes the International Olympic Games Committee (IOC), the Organizing Committee of Olympic Games (OCOGs), the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the International Sports Federations (IFs), as well many other national sports associations and clubs.

The responsibility of the IOC is to choose a city to host the Olympic Games after reviewing the applicants. The IOC monitors the preparations of the Olympic Games through a special coordination committee who works closely with the hosting city. The IOC also provides capital for the construction of Olympic stadiums and gymnasiums.