Officials of the 2008 Olympics knew finding volunteers wouldn't be a problem, but the demand was filled within a week of the launch of the volunteer recruitment program.

By 17:00 on September 3, the organizing committee had already received 12,3017 applications, 92,807, or 75.4 percent of which are from college students, according to a report from the Games' official website.

The organization committee estimated the 2008 Olympics and Para-Olympics would altogether need around 100,000 volunteers, with 30,000 of them working for the latter.

The report also recorded the number of inquiries during the week at 521,464. Slightly over 80 percent were from college students.

The committee had expected college students to make up the majority of the volunteers before the recruitment opened, but doubts were raised by some about students' lack of work experience despite their availability.

The organizing committee opened volunteer recruitment to Beijing residents on August 28, while applicants outside Beiing were told to start applying this December and foreign applicants in March next year.