The Second Chance
Triathlete Daniel Unger

Daniel Unger paused at the finish line just long enough to stretch both arms toward the sky over Hamburg - then the 29-year-old sank to the ground, drained of his last ounce of energy. All the experts bet against him, but he had just become the triathlon world champion. This resounding victory marked the return of an exceptional athlete. His dream of an Olympic gold medal in Athens slipped from his grasp because of an illness just three days before the opening ceremonies. In summer, 2008, he will be pursuing that dream once again - at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

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Keep it up!
Germany's Gymnasts Head for the Olympics

Fabian Hambüchen, the 1.61-meter-tall "gymnast flea" from Wetzlar is a genuine media sensation. He won gold on the high bar at the 2007 world championship in Stuttgart, silver in the all-around competition and – perhaps most surprising of all – bronze with the team. Germany's gymnasts have long gone virtually unnoticed by the public, but now, in the aura of the superstar, other Germans are beginning to shine as well. This feature focuses on the athletes' preparations for Beijing and the knock-out competition for the highly coveted spots on the Olympic team in a sport where the main thing is to stay up!

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Flying Horses
Hong Kong Prepares for the 2008 Olympics

It's one of the few places where you can arrive poor and leave a millionaire just a few hours later. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges from Germany can confirm that there's no place on Earth quite like Happy Valley. And as the chief executive officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club - the world's richest - for over 8 years, he ought to know. The club has the clout to act as host for the equestrian events at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Some 80 million euros have been invested in the construction of the Olympic riding facilities so far.

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Sports Shoe Wars
Battle of the Giants

The athletes won't be the only ones going for gold in Beijing 2008 - the major sportswear labels, Adidas, Nike, and many other companies are jumping at the opportunity to penetrate the Chinese market. It's virgin territory and potentially very lucrative. For many Chinese, athletic shoes made in Europe and the U.S. are obligatory status symbols. As the Olympic Games approach, the big sportswear producers are joining the athletes in giving everything they've got to their preparations. But far more is at stake than a medal on a ribbon: this competition is about nothing less than leadership in the potentially largest market on Earth. 1.3 billion Chinese mean 2.6 billion feet in need of footwear.

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On the Yellow Sea
Qingdao - China's Sailing City

Qingdao is one of China's mega-boomtowns and is well prepared to host the Olympic sailing competition, having long since completed the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center - one of the largest and most modern sailing facilities in the world. The German team is giving itself good odds in the race for gold. Besides, Qingdao is an auspicious and historically significant site for Germans. It was planned and built by Germany to serve as the main port for its Chinese colony in the late 19th century. The original city center has been well preserved.

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