Rogge Defends Giving Beijing The Games

It’s difficult to get a good sense of the mood coming out of Beijing before the start of the Games this week. But here’s our initial take: The IOC and Jacques Rogge are clearly on the early defensive -- so much so that Rogge says he has no regrets about awarding the Games to China. Most editorials and observers feel that Rogge and the IOC have not handled the political and sporting challenges around China as host as well as they could have. Concerns of terrorism seem to be growing, as there are incidents in China today, but on the plus side, the venues are getting universal praise and the air quality seems to be improving. Meanwhile, SBD/SBJ is launching our site exclusively geared to the Beijing Games. It will feature news, video, blogs and much more from Beijing. We hope you check it out early and often.

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