o o o o o o o o o beijing 2008 The current <strong>Olympic</strong> Charter too can be traced to the principles established by De Courbetin. The first two ‘Fundamental Principles’ of Olympism exemplify the idealism behind the sporting activity. Olympism, says the first principle, is “a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.” The second principle states that the “goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.” These ideas and others put forward by the founders of the modern <strong>Olympic</strong> movement have not only endured, but spread across the globe. Today, 202 National <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong>s and 35 International Federations are part of the <strong>Olympic</strong> Movement. This year’s host nation China, for example, formally entered the <strong>Olympic</strong> stage in 1936 in Berlin, Germany; the Soviet Union entered the <strong>Olympic</strong>s for the first time in 1952 in Helsinki, Norway; and <strong>Qatar</strong> first competed at a Summer Games in Los Angeles, USA, in 1984. New to the rigours of top-level international competition, <strong>Qatar</strong>’s initial effort was not an immediate sporting success, but at the Barcelona <strong>Olympic</strong> Games in 1992, <strong>Qatar</strong> won its first medal when Mohammed Suleiman took home the bronze in the men’s 1500 metres. Eight years later at Sydney 2000, <strong>Qatar</strong>’s second medal was secured when Said Saad Asaad won the bronze medal in the Men’s 105kg weightlifting. This year, <strong>Qatar</strong> will send its strongest ever team to compete for medals in Beijing, but for Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Secretary General of QOC, the Movement is about far more than the number medals won. In May, Sheikh Saoud received the 2007 IOC Award for individuals who support the <strong>Olympic</strong> Movement from Juan Antonio Samaranch, Honorary President of the IOC in Lausanne. The award was given to the QOC a because of its contribution in supporting other National <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong>s such as the Yemeni <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong>. The honour also reflects the QOC’s committed strategy for sport in line with the directions of the QOC president, HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. The QOC’s mission is “to become a leading nation in bringing the world together through sport”. It is an ambition that will be reenergised in the sporting venues of Beijing this August, and one that will continue to burn brightly long after the Closing Ceremony as <strong>Qatar</strong> seeks to create its own sporting heroes to match the legends of past <strong>Olympic</strong> Games. From the top: Cathy Freeman wins 400m gold for Australia in Sydney; Liu Xiang powers to victory in the 110m hurdles in Athens; Carl Lewis wins another gold medal in Los Angeles 1984. <strong>Qatar</strong> at the <strong>Olympic</strong> Games 1984 The 1984 Summer <strong>Olympic</strong>s were celebrated in Los Angeles, USA. Carl Lewis made the his first of four appearances in the <strong>Olympic</strong>s, and equalled the performance of Jesse Owens of 1936 by winning four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and the Long Jump. In their first <strong>Olympic</strong>s, <strong>Qatar</strong> competed in the men’s football and athletics events. 1988 The 1988 Summer <strong>Olympic</strong>s were hosted by Seoul, South Korea. The Canadian Ben Johnson won the 100m in a new world record, but was disqualified after testing positive for steroids. Tennis returned to the <strong>Olympic</strong>s after a 64-year absence and Steffi Graf added to her four Grand Slam victories in the year by also winning the <strong>Olympic</strong> title. <strong>Qatar</strong> fielded just one athlete - in the men’s 10,000m. 1992 The 1992 Summer <strong>Olympic</strong> Games were held in Barcelona, Spain. In basketball, the admittance of pro players led to the American Dream Team, led by Michael Jordan, which won the gold medal with ease. <strong>Qatar</strong>’s football team won the Gulf Cup that year and competed in the football competition, while Mohammed Suleiman took the bronze medal – <strong>Qatar</strong>’s first <strong>Olympic</strong> prize - in the 1500m. 1996 The 1996 Summer <strong>Olympic</strong>s, known as the Centennial <strong>Olympic</strong>s, were celebrated in Atlanta, United States. Cycling professionals were admitted to the <strong>Olympic</strong>s for the first time, with five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain winning the inaugural individual time trial event. <strong>Qatar</strong> sent competitors in athletics and for the first time in shooting. 2000 The 2000 Summer <strong>Olympic</strong>s were celebrated in 2000 in Sydney, Australia . The local star Cathy Freeman won the women’s 400m final in front of a jubilant Sydney crowd at the <strong>Olympic</strong> Stadium. <strong>Qatar</strong> sent competitors in athletics, shooting, table tennis, and weightlifting with Said Saad Asaad winning the bronze medal in the Men’s 105kg weightlifting. Bilal Saad finished tenth in the men’s shot-put. 2004 The 2004 Summer <strong>Olympic</strong> Games were staged in Athens, Greece. Liu Xiang became the first Chinese man to win an <strong>Olympic</strong> track and field gold medal when he won the 110 metres hurdles as China came within four gold medals of the USA. <strong>Qatar</strong> sent participants in athletics, shooting, swimming and weightlifting with Musa Amer coming closest to a medal with a fourth in the final of the men’s 3,000m steeplechase. 16 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3 .08
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