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Saturday June 9, 2007

Tattoos a no-no at Beijing Olympics

BEIJING: For women hoping to become hostesses at next year's Olympic Games medal ceremonies, here come the criteria: no tattoos, no big bottoms, and cut down on the earrings.

Tattoos and earrings tend to look sleazy, while big bottoms could stick out too much, state media reported yesterday, quoting officials selecting candidates for medal ceremonies and other protocol activities.

Selection is currently under way to find hostesses for Olympic test events taking place later this year and early next year in the run-up to the August, 2008 Games in the Chinese capital.

According to the Beijing News, 208 hostesses are needed for 23 test events in a selection process which, although separate from the Olympics next year, offers successful candidates hope of being considered for the Games.

A general view shows the National Olympic Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, in Beijing on Thursday. - Reuters
“We don't want anyone who looks in any way sleazy because that could really put athletes off,” said Li Ning, principal of Beijing Institute of Protocol, who is heading the selection process.

She said experts were looking for women of uniform height with neat bottoms and minus body art and ear studs. Glossy skin was another asset.

“Bone structure and height should be uniform,” she said. “For example, we don't want any wide bottoms.”

Meanwhile, China's weightlifting team moved the short distance to their new training centre in Beijing on Thursday without using the services of a removal firm.

Instead, each weightlifter was given a handcart and ordered to carry a set of barbells to the new 2,000 square metre complex.

"Other teams always hire porter companies when moving," coach Wang Guoxing told the First paper. "But for us, that was needless."

While the 360kg weight of each load was not a problem for the biggest among them, the lighter lifters struggled on a sweltering Beijing day.

"It was a little too heavy," said Zhang Ping, a former world champion in the featherweight class where the heaviest weight ever lifted was 182kg. - Reuters

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