IN BRIEF (Page 22)
OLYMPICS
Phelps joins 'McDonald's Champion Kids' campaign
Multiple Olympic and world swimming champion Michael Phelps joined Chinese diving queen Guo Jingjing to launch McDonald's Champion Kids program yesterday.
The initiative will give 300 kids from around the world the opportunity to travel to the 2008 Olympics and share their experiences with communities back home through local news outlets.
They will watch various events, meet athletes, visit cultural sights and interact with kids from across the globe during this once-in-a-lifetime journey.
US super fish Phelps will serve as McDonald's Global Ambassador for the program and Guo the Ambassador in China.
"With the McDonald's Champion Kids program, we are making a significant investment to give hundreds of children the experience of a lifetime," McDonald's Global Chief Marketing Officer Mary Dillon said. "These kids will reach out to thousands more, connecting with their worldwide peers to communicate the sights and sounds of the Olympic Games."
YACHTING
Love boat for China's yachting enthusiasts
Sweethearts are currently vying for the chance to steer a 49er yacht at the 2007 Qingdao International Sailing Regatta in Qingdao, part of the Kappa Yachting Camp for Lovers promotion in Beijing.
Kappa signed a deal with China's 49er sailing team before the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Cascais, Portugal, in June.
Lovers will have to advance through a number of competitions in front of a judging panel consisting of Olympic diving gold medalist Tian Liang, "Super Girl" Ye Yiqian, Kappa's officials and coaches from China's national team.
The Beijing Olympics will be the first time China takes part in the Olympic sailing category.
An experienced coach has dramatically improved the team, which qualified for the world championships in Portugal earlier this year, to make it a genuine medal-contender in water sports.
MISCELLANEOUS
A hero's welcome for the brave climbers
The first team of climbers to scale all of the world's summits higher than 8,000m received a hero's welcome yesterday in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
China's State Councilor Chen Zhili and Sports Minister Liu Peng received captain Samdrup and his team members Tsering Dorje, Penpa Tashi, Lhotse and women's team captain Kyikyi.
Between spring 1993 and last month, they conquered Mt Everest or Mt Qomolangma in Tibet, the world's highest mount (8844.43m), Pakistan's Mt Chogori (8611m) and Broad Peak (8047m), Kashmir's Nanga Parbat (8125m) and the Nepalese mountains of Kangchengjuga (8586m), Lhotse (8516m), Makalu (8463m), Cho Oyu (8201m), Dhaulgairi (8172m), Manaslu (8156m), Annapurna (8091m) and Gasherbrum (8068m).
Beijing Ozark Co Ltd presented gold medals to the expedition team leader and all 14 climbers who took part in the expeditions.
(China Daily 08/10/2007 page22)
