"TheGamesofthe29thOlympiadin2008areawardedtothecityofBeijing." 　　TheInternationalOlympicCommitteeselectedtheChinesecapitalasthe2008hostinFriday'svoteduringJuanAntonioSamaranch'slastIOCsessionaspresident.TheattractionofstagingtheGamesinacountrywhichhastheworld'slargestpopulation,aswellashugeeconomicpotential,wontheIOC'sheart. 　　Beijingdefeatedfourotherbiddingcities,includingTorontoandParis,tosecurethecountry'sfirst-everOlympics.Osakawasthefirstcitytogoout,anditonlytookonemoreroundforBeijingtowintheOlympicrace. 　　Theannouncement,readoutbythe81-year-oldSamaranch,wasansweredwithwildjubilationfromtheChinesedelegationinMoscow,andwithfireworksinBeijing.IOCseniormemberKimUn-YongsaidafterthevotingthatBeijingdeservedtheOlympicGames. 　　"BeijingiscapableofstagingagreatOlympicGames,"saidthe71-year-oldSouthKorean."Theresultwasn'tasurprisetome." 　　Withthemotto"NewBeijing,GreatOlympics",Beijingpromisestohosta"GreenOlympics",a"Hi-techOlympics"andthe"People'sOlympics". 　　The3,000-year-oldcityisbecomingatrulyinternationalcityandshowinganew,vigorousimagethroughitsongoingeconomicreforms. 　　Beijingenjoysthewidestpopularsupportamongthefivebiddingcities.AGallupopinionpollcommissionedbythegovernmentshowed94.9percentofthepublicinfavorofit.TheIOC'sownsurveysfoundsupportevenhigher.TheChinesegovernmenthaspledgedtospend20billionU.S.dollarsbuildingsportscomplexesandrefurbishingtheBeijinginfrastructure.Thereareplansforanewexhibitioncenterwithtwinskyscrapersthatcouldbetallerthananyintheworld.