In the grandstands at Shunyi and more

Like the Danes with their horn helmets and the green clad Irish.

In one of the grandstands the cheering is organised. A very enthusiast supporter wears a red bandana with “Chinese win” printed in golden Chinese characters. He waves a large flag to set the rhythm for the cheering. The method seems to be: a cheer is when a Chinese crew is called up at the start and then an organised chant of “China” starts when the boat passes in front of the grandstand.

At the 1500m mark there are the standing places where lots of Beijing school children sit on the lawn in nice rows and cheer and clap with plastic sticks. Some also wave Chinese or Olympic flags and all really seem to enjoy possibly their first rowing race experience.

Future journalists join in

The Beijing Organising Committee, BOCOG, has selected students in journalism from different universities to help out by getting quotes from athletes for the news service. These students come from around the globe and at the rowing venue some come from UK Sheffield University where 24 were selected.

The students arrived five weeks before the beginning of the Games and were given the opportunity to do some sightseeing before taking part in two weeks of training. This training included a tour of the venue, style of writing and learning about rowing. The UK students knew nothing of the sport but were chosen rowing because they were British and British are known to be good at the sport.

Watching the rowing

Princess Benedicte of Denmark, the Patron of Danish rowing, was very enthusiastic about the racing which saw three Danish crews compete in the heats, finishing with two firsts and a second.

Prime minister of Finland, Matti Vanhanen watched his country’s sole Olympic rowing boat, the lightweight women’s double.

Shunyi briefs

It is hard not to feel the tension and concentration that abounds around the boat park and launching pontoons before races. You feel it in the air. Concentration is evident when you spot trainers giving the last instructions to the athletes.

What do you do in Beijing after heavy rain? If you are Chinese, you sponge the terrace and dry the rescue boats pontoon.

If you want to know who races for New Zealand then find a spot behind a Kiwi supporter and then read what is written on the back of their tee-shirt.

A nice detail: in the spectator area there are boards available to post encouraging words for the athletes.
The volunteers keep smiling in all circumstances. Whether it is rain or thunder. And some wear a smiling sun on their outfit to show they are there as “SPS”, spectator services.

If you want to know what the wind is doing you simply walk down the side of the rowing course. At points along the course a meter is set up to gauge the speed and direction.