IN TANDEM: Prime Minister David Thompson (right) gave a big endorsement yesterday to our Olympic team much to the delight of BOA president Steve Stoute. (Picture by Charles Pitt-Grant.)

PRIME MINISTER DAVID THOMPSON showed yesterday that he was "100 per cent Bajan" and "100 per cent behind the team for Beijing 2008" as he made a rallying call for Team Barbados.

The Prime Minister is expected to get a chance to see the facilities next week when he leads a local delegation on an official visit to Beijing and Shanghai.

Speaking after touring Olympic House at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex – the home of the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) – Thompson called on Bajans to throw their full support behind the athletes as they attend the Games.

"This is a small but proud nation. I hope this year that the Barbadian participants at the Olympics will do our nation proud. We must be realistic about expectations but there is nothing to stop a small nation from finding an area where we can place ourselves on the world stage," Thompson told reporters.

He also urged the athletes to be true nation-builders and wear the national colours proudly on what is the biggest sporting stage in the world.

"We have been able to do that through the years through the outstanding performances from several Bajans, and I believe we can do it again as a nation."

Barbados has one Olympic medal in history. It came when Obadele Thomson won a bronze in the men's 100 metres in Sydney in 2000. One other Bajan, Jim Wedderburn, has a medal. He won a bronze as part of the West Indies 4x400 relay team in Rome in 1960.

Yesterday, China marked the start of the 100-day countdown to the Beijing Olympics with songs, a mass run and prayers, hoping to put behind it the tumultuous events of the past month which have taken much of the gloss off preparations.

Reports have indicated that unlike run-ups to recent Olympics, Beijing's preparations have kept "to plan" and some stadiums and infrastructure have even been completed ahead of schedule.

"The 100 days ahead will bring mounting excitement and energy to Beijing. Citizens and visitors will see the city continue to transform itself, as it welcomes athletes, the media and spectators for the final test events, as well as for the Games themselves", the International Olympic Committee said in a statement.

BOCOG (the Games organising committee) has reportedly spent BDS$70 billion to BDS$80 billion on improved infrastructure, including a new airport terminal and subway lines, as well as BDS$4.25 billion to cover the cost of running the Games.

Over the past few months the Beijing's preparations have been overshadowed by the torch relay's troubled journey around the globe with protests in major international cities over Tibet.

The Beijing Summer Olympics 2008 open on August 8 at 8 p.m. (08-08-08), which has been done to celebrate the significance of the No.8. The opening ceremony will be held at the newly constructed "Bird's Nest Stadium", which can host 90 000 spectators. (PS)