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News
Beijing 2008 Olympic
The 2008 Olympic Games were launched at a dazzling ceremony in Beijing, as athletes from more than 200 countries gathered in the Bird's Nest stadium.
Drums, a light show and pyrotechnics began the four-hour ceremony - 29 sets of fireworks, representing each edition of the modern Games, lit up Beijing.
Mark Foster led the British contingent into the arena, and 7ft 6in basketball star Yao Ming carried the Chinese flag.
Li Ning, 1984 gold medallist, lit the Olympic cauldron to close the ceremony.
Li, who won three gymnastics gold medals in Los Angeles, was hoisted to the roof of the stadium by wires.
He completed a lap of the arena, suspended in mid-air, before igniting a jet of flame to light the torch tower.
Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, declared the Games open in front of an audience of more than 80 world leaders and royals, including US President George W. Bush and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, congratulated the people of Beijing in his opening speech.
"For a long time, China has dreamed of opening its doors and inviting the world's athletes to Beijing," he said.
"Tonight that dream comes true. May these Olympic Games bring you joy, hope and pride."
Rogge called on athletes at the Games to "reject doping and cheating" and Chinese table tennis star Zhang Yining took the athletes' oath on behalf of the assembled competitors.
The initial firework display followed a countdown initiated by exactly 2,008 percussionists using illuminated drums.
A further 15,000 musicians, acrobats and trapeze artists then distilled 5,000 years of Chinese history into 50 minutes of intricately choreographed, beautifully lit sequences.
Giant, illuminated Olympic rings and enormous pillars rose up from the floor of the stadium, followed by a piano duet performed by a five-year-old girl and famed Chinese pianist, Lang Lang.
In keeping with tradition, Greece - Olympic founders and hosts of the first modern Games - led the 204 competing nations into the arena.
China's 639 athletes entered last, behind towering flag-bearer Yao, to a thunderous reception from the Bird's Nest crowd.
The procession of athletes took place with nations appearing according to the number of brush strokes required to write each country's name in Chinese.
Team GB therefore became the 115th team to enter the arena, with Australia - traditionally third into the arena by alphabetical order - appearing third last.
However, Brunei did not feature, having missed the deadline to register their athletes for the ceremony.
The Games will run until 24 August.
