The gold, silver and bronze medals that will hang around the necks of winning athletes at next month’s Olympics were formally handed over yesterday to the organizers of the Beijing Games.
The 3,000 medals made for the Olympics and a similar number for the Parlympics were delivered by BHP Billiton, an Olympic sponsor and the world’s largest mining company, during an hour-long ceremony near Tiananmen Square.
“We’re fully prepared for the Beijing Games. All the preparations are now in place,” said Jiang Xiaoyu, executive vice president of the Beijing Olympics organizing committee.
BHP Billiton China president Clinton Dines said the company decided to become a major Olympic sponsor because it wanted to show its commitment to the host nation.
A total of 1,000 medals for each category was made — enough for all the winning athletes, including those in group sports, to receive a medal.
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