ESPN ramps up its Olympics coverage with Countdown to Beijing, a weekly half-hour programme in Mandarin and English to whet the appetite for the Games. Featuring the latest developments in China and Asian athlete profiles, the programme will air twice-weekly till early July for more indepth reports on the sportsmen and women and their ongoing training. Fronted by SportsCenter host Christy Simson, upcoming episodes will feature coverage of the hockey qualifiers, the Chinese Taipei women’s softball and gymnastics teams, and profiles of participants such as India’s sharp shooter Rajyavardhan Rathore and badminton player Anup Sridhar. There will also be a look at the various venues. With three other lead-in shows covering other aspects of the Beijing mega-event, it looks like ESPN will be the channel to watch during the 2008 Games. 

ESPN, Channel 23