Google Lat Long: Off to the Games!

The official blog for Google Maps

Off to the Games!

August 7, 2008

The 2008 Summer Games will soon commence in Beijing and will run from August 8th to August 24th. You may have noticed that we recently updated our satellite imagery in Beijing, have added detailed bilingual maps in China, and have created a collection of 3D stadiums using Google SketchUp.

In addition to all of this, today we're launching the 2008 Summer Games on Google Maps. It's a one-stop shop for viewing live updates from the Games, including up-to-date medal counts by country, events by date, and results by sport.

To track medal counts, click on the 'Medals' tab and zoom or pan the map to see updates around the world. Clicking on a country or region will display medal information as it's received. Use the 'Events' tab to view the latest schedules by date, country, and sport. All data--including country and region participants, sport results, and medal counts--is provided through an official feed from the World News Press Agency (WNPA).
As a bonus, we've also included a way to view sports stadiums and venues in 3D. By clicking the 'Earth' tab, PC users can access the Google Earth plug-in and virtually explore the Beijing Village. Not a PC user? No problem. All users are also able to preview the venue information and 3D fly-through videos within the map.

If you'd rather follow the Games from your desktop, we've launched a Google Earth KML that highlights similar information and provides a unique virtual experience. To whet your palate, here's a video tour of the 3D Village: