Even before they start at eight minutes past eight on the eighth day of the eighth month of the eighth year of the century the Beijing Games are already an extraordinary affair thanks to the mind-bending extent of the public works carried out and because of what is at stake for the most populous nation on the planet.
American swim sensation Michael Phelps is also under the sign of number 8, a lucky number for many in Asia, as the youngster looks set to enter eight events out in China with the hope of smashing the record of seven gold medals won by Mark Spitz, the mustachioed hero of the 1972 Games.
The Chinese public and authorities are hoping to win these games, and may well do given that they were second at Athens four years ago. Now they have finely tuned contenders in a far wider breadth of events, and if they do emerge victorious, it would act as a powerful metaphor for China's emergence as a global superpower.
The global public will gape in wide-eyed wonder and the sublime beauty of the sports facilities with such architectural landmarks as the so(called bird's nest, which is the Olympic Stadium, and the Ice-Cube, which is the swimming centre.
The 2008 Games then are primed to transcend previous editions and seem assured to be given the accolade of 'greatest games ever'.
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