Suffering from cancer, Shanteau justifies Olympic motto

MAJESTIC: Fireworks are set off during a rehearsal of the opening ceremony at the National Stadium.

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New Delhi: With less than a month to go for the Beijing Olympics, China is doing its best to make it a memorable one for the visitors. The athletes too are doing all they can to be a part of history.

If some one is justifying the Olympic motto of swifter, higher and stronger it is American swimmer Eric Shanteau. The 24-year-old has been diagnosed with testicular cancer but that has not deterred him to keep his date with Beijing.

The 200m-breaststroke swimmer has postponed his treatment until after the Olympics.

"Any other year I would have put off my end of the year meet and I probably would already probably had surgery. But this isn't any other year, this is the Olympic year and I've been going after this my whole life," says Shanteau.

Meanwhile, in China the preparations for the Games have reached the home stretch and with 22 days to go for the Olympics to begin, the Beijing Olympic Organising Committee (BOCOG) held a rehearsal of the opening ceremony at the National Stadium.

While the spectators would have enjoyed the fireworks, it would definitely have a adverse impact on the smog around the National Stadium also known as the Bird's Nest.

Statistics have shown a drastic rise in the level of smog and is raising concern especially for the long distance runners.

The Australian Olympic contingent has even threatened to boycott the opening ceremony for the same reason.

On the other hand, in Hongkong, thousands of residents have been queuing up for days outside the Bank of China trying to get their hands on the special Olympics commemorative notes.

Scuffles have also been reported outside the gates with angry crowds fighting over the of first of the four million Hong Kong 20 dollar bills, which is equal to about Rs 110.

The notes have a Greek pillar on the front and the Bird's Nest Stadium on the other side, and are being sold at about seven times their face value.

(With inputs from Mendra Dorjey and Amit Bose)