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Olympic Gymnastics Draw

Friday, 16th May 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)

The Olympic gymnastics draw took place in Tianjin yesterday, putting China's women in the first qualification group with Romania, and the men in the same group as Canada, Russia, Japan and France.

The women's placement in the first group is considered a challenge because it means they will need to get up early to warm up for the 10 a.m. competition. The morning session is also typically not as well attended, thought it's hard to believe that attracting a crowd will be any problem in Beijing.

Chinese coach Lu Shanzhen didn't hold back in expressing his disappointment over the women's draw, according to this Xinhua report, which quotes him as saying: "It is the worst draw!" Lu expressed his disappointment after the draw. "We are in the first qualification and will start with balance beam."

The draw took place in Tianjin where the FIG World Cup of Gymnastics is being held.

Tags: gymnastics, olympics

Xie Leads China to Badminton Uber Cup Final

Friday, 16th May 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)

Jakarta, Indonesia—With a 3-1 win over South Korea, China's women's badminton team advanced to the finals of the Uber Cup, a major badminton tournament taking place at Senayan Sports Complex in Jakarta this week.

Current world No. 1 Xie Xingfang won her sets against Hwang Hye-youn, 21-9 and 21-19. Lu Lan also won her game, and the doubles squad of Wei Yili and Zhang Yawen also won in three sets. China will face the home team, which advanced by beating Germany 3-1, in the finals Saturday.

The men's team plays Malaysia in the semifinals today. The matches are airing on CCTV Sports at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Image: Yonex USA

Tags: badminton, Xie Xingfang

A Walk Down Wangfujing

Friday, 16th May 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)

This one's for the advertising and marketing nerds out there. Wangfujing pedestrian shopping street is, in some sense, the Times Square of Beijing—full of ads, bright lights, flagship stores and tourists. It runs a length equivalent to a couple of city blocks, and right now it's plastered with sports advertising. Here's a full accounting of the ads up right now.

Corner of Wangfujing and Dongdan Santiao, outside the entrance to Wangfujing Bookstore. Below a giant TV screen (one of three along Wangfujing) runs a long strip of an ad for China Mobile, a cell phone service provider and one of the domestic Olympic sponsors. Inside the building is a McDonald's and the Beijing 2008 Olympic Flagship store, aka Fuwa heavan.

On a building facing a small side street, Adidas puts an ad featuring the Chinese women's volleyball team. Above and behind is an ad for Chinese electronics maker TCL, featuring tennis stars.

Kobe Bryant welcomes you to the Nike store. Another official Beijing 2008 shop is next door.

Across from Kobe, Tiger Woods stares down from above a Muslim restaurant, hawking TAG Heuer watches.

Kobe is with us again, in an ad running across the rooftops, featuring a close-up of his face and a plug for a TV program airing in China May 18-25.

Next to Haoyou Emporium, Olympic sponsor Johnson & Johnson advertises waterproof bandages with an image of a swimming youngster.

Above the Dan Yao building, in a massive ad for Chinese sports apparel brand Li-Ning 2006 Tokyo Marathon champion Ambesse Tolossa crosses a finish line with the Forbidden City in the backdrop.

A little further down… Kobe's back! This time in a three-story-high wrap around the (second) Nike storefront.

On the front of a second Li-Ning store, across from Nike, Olympic champion diver Guo Jingjing prepares to dive off of the Great Wall.

The Adidas store places the Chinese women's volleyball team above its entrance and…

… some everyday people running in front of the Bird's Nest at street level.

Finally, at the northern end of the pedestrian street, Kobe marks his territory one last time.

So what's up with Nike's all Kobe, all the time strategy? A couple of weeks ago, it wasn't like that. He shared ads on Wangfujing with other Nike spokes-athletes Liu Xiang (110-meter hurdles world record holder), Roger Federer (tennis star) and Yi Jianlian (forward for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks). But Kobe just won the NBA's MVP award, he's leading the Los Angeles Lakers' playoff run and will be featured in a show on CCTV next week.

Tags: Adidas, advertising, Guo Jingjing, Kobe, Li-Ning, marketing, Nike, Tiger Woods, volleyball, Wangfujing

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