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Biggest ever Olympic Day celebration held in China

2010-07-13 14:17 COC


Thousands of people from Chengde, China join the Olympic Day Run on June 19, 2010 with great passion. (Photo China Sports Online Ni Minzhe)

BEIJING, July 12, 2010 - Under the patronage of the Chinese Olympic Committee, China held the 24th Olympic Day Run , the biggest ever Olympic Day celebration on June 19, 2010 in nine Chinese cities simultaneously, attracting thousands of people from local communities in Chengde, Guangzhou, Haiyang, Tianjin, Nanjing, Wuhan, Chengdu, Xiamen and Harbin.

Sport Minister and President of the Chinese Olympic Committee Liu Peng joined with other participants to attend the major celebration event in Dehuimen Square of Chengde Mountain Resort. More than 2,000 people from local communities joined the long run from the Square with great passion.

Liu Peng said in his opening speech, “Under the background of profoundly implementation of National Fitness Regulation and the development of China in the direction from a major sport country to a sport power, Olympic Day Run plays an important role. Good health is where the happiness comes from. So let's take part in the sport and live a happy life with the experience of ‘more exercise, more health and more happiness."

Secretary-General of Chinese Olympic Committee Song Luzeng read the message sent by International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge. “The Olympic Day is not only a great opportunity for us to celebrate Olympic concepts, but also a festival to attract people from all over the world to join in sports. Sport is able to find the greatest potential in us, but the nature of sport is always to bring happiness to people. ” Rogge said in his message.

The 24th Olympic Day Run bears a special significance with the largest scale in history covering nine cities. Guangzhou will see the Asian Games kick off later this year in November while Haiyang will stage the 3rd Asian Beach Games in 2012. The 6th East Asian Games will come to Tianjin in 2013 and Nanjing is going to be the host city of the 2nd Youth Olympic Games in 2014. Meanwhile, Chengde, Wuhan, Chengdu, Xiamen and Harbin respectively locate in five directions of mainland China which fully demonstrate the extensive popularity and participation of Olympic movement in China. This not only shows a coordinated development between Chinese competitive sport and mass sport, but also creates a good social atmosphere for all the upcoming Games in China.

Olympic Day was introduced in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris. IOC decided to create the Olympic Day on June 23, 1987 to commemorate this historic day while encouraging all national Olympic Committees (NOCs) to launch the Olympic Day Run at weekends around June 23 each year. Over the last 20 years Olympic Day has been associated with Olympic Day Run all over the world. From 45 participating National Olympic Committees in the first edition in 1987, the numbers have grown to nearly 200 now.

This year has been the 24th Olympic Day Run organized by Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) which started in the year of 1987. COC always attaches great importance to the Olympic Day and regards it as an outstanding platform to carry forward Olympic spirit, spread Olympic principles and promote Olympic movement. The Olympic Day Run has become the key traditional sports for all celebration in China. (By Zhang Xiuping)

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