Athletes strive to get wushu added to Olympic program

Hundreds of international wushu athletes are putting on a special show during a separate wushu tournament running concurrently with the Olympics in a bid to get the game considered for eventual Olympic inclusion.

This event, being held during the last four days of the Beijing Games, is the first time wushu has been so close to the Olympics since its debut as a demonstration sport in the 1936 Berlin Games.

"To be able to host the tournament is a great honor that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted to China and an essential step to further promote the Chinese martial arts on the international stage," said Wang Xiaolin, secretary-general of the International Wushu Federation (IWUF).