Participating NOCs

Whilst qualifying competitions in various disciplines are well underaway, it is not yet completely certain which National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will participate. Most NOCs participate regularly, although various circumstances could cause a nation to be absent from the games, as was the case for six NOCs at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Nevertheless, placements in various qualifying races can help predict which nations and how many athletes will be at the games; for example, Steven Roush, chief of sport performance for the United States Olympic Committee expects the United States to bring about 600 competitors to the games, their largest Olympic team thus far. North Korea and South Korea are considering sending a united team to the 2008 Olympics. In the past, the two nations have walked together in the parade of nations during the opening ceremonies, but have never competed as one team. The two NOCs met with IOC president Jacques Rogge on September 5, 2006, to discuss the possibility of creating such a combined team. In early 2007, Korean Olympic Committee President Kim Jung-kil and North Korean Olympic Committee President Mun Jae-duk met to further discuss the logistics of sending a unified team. South Korea advocates selection of athletes based on performance, while North Korea hopes for equal representation of athletes if the two indeed send a joint team. The NOCs failed to reach an agreement on representation, but said they would have further discussions in the future.

The Marshall Islands gained NOC status in February, 2006, and is expected to participate in the Games. Tuvalu representatives met with IOC president Jacques Rogge in 2005, who indicated that Tuvalu was likely to be voted a full-fledged Olympic member at the IOC meeting in 2007. At the 119th IOC session, the Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee was accepted as a new National Olympic Committee. br>
In May 2006 (just after the 2006 Winter Olympics), the citizens of Montenegro voted in a referendum to sever their political union with Serbia. The states of Serbia and Montenegro, which participated at the 2004 Games jointly as Serbia and Montenegro, will now compete separately. The Montenegrin Olympic Committee was accepted as a new National Olympic Committee at the 119th IOC session along with Tuvalu. A dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles was to have taken place in July 2007, giving Curaçao and Sint Maarten-like Aruba-a status aparte. This status would have permitted the new nations to create NOCs, allowing them to compete separately at the games. However, the dissolution was postponed until December 2008, four months after the scheduled 2008 Olympics. Even if the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles takes place in December 2008, any newly formed NOCs will have to wait until the 2012 Olympics to participate in the Summer Games.

Beijing 2008 Olympics

2008 Olympics Sports

Participating NOCs

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