Beijing 2001 Summer Universiade - Broadcast Opening Sequence
Copyright (c) 2001 International University Sports Federation
Ushering into the third millennium, the 21st Summer Universiade was China's first gig in staging FISU's World University Games, and it is held in Beijing between 22 August and 1 September 2001.
The event was always going to be special, but with the Chinese capital learning only a month before the opening ceremony that its bid for the 2008 Olympics had won, there was an added touch of magic surrounding this Universiade.
The 2001 Universiade had attracted a then-record 6,757 participants from 165 countries. No expense was spared to make sure the Universiade was a success – and a success especially for Chinese athletes; the hosts had fielded 294 athletes in total, which helped China top the medal tally for the first time in the Universiade with 103 medals overall, 54 of which were gold.
Beijing was estimated to have spent more than US$120 million on new venues and renovations of existing sport facilities, with another US$88 million put into the Athletes’ Village. But the real value of bringing the Universiade to China was the learning curve it brought in hosting major sporting events.
The Games' organizing committee used the Universiade as sort of a dress rehearsal for the 2008 Olympics, and the experience accumulated in 2001 gave the populous East Asian nation the confidence in bringing numerous international sporting events and multi-sport meets to Chinese soil, while also effectively showcasing the country as a reliable partner that could not only deliver world-class events but exceed all expectations in the process.