Quest for Chinese Olympic coxswains begins today

Today marks the official launch of China’s national coxswain competition. The competition, in the form of a TV reality show, aims to select two national team coxswains in time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and will be broadcast on China’s major television network, China Central Television (CCTV).

According to Nathan Jones, Director of International Relations at Taihe Media Investment Co., Ltd, the main agency behind the project, “This competition is going to shape the Chinese people’s understanding and appreciation of what the Olympics represent and the movement’s history and core values. It will be the most covered Olympic event in China leading up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The coverage that the competition launch ceremony will receive on TV and in print will create instant excitement.”

The project has taken on major importance in the overall promotion of the Beijing Olympic Games among the Chinese people and is to be covered on CCTV and by some of the western hemisphere’s most influential media.

Today’s launch will be broadcast on CCTV9 International, China’s English language satellite channel with special programming and a press conference throughout the day.