Dancing, singing added to 2008 Olympics

BEIJING, CHINA — With the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing just over a year away, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made two additions to the roster of events – dancing and singing – in a last-ditch effort to rebuild the popularity of the games. Though these events will be open only to athletes already qualifying for the Olympics in some other activity, organizers expect both to be big boosts to TV ratings around the world, particularly in America.

“What we did here is basically take the two most popular contests in the United States and add them to our 2008 games,” IOC President Jacques Rogge said. “If people want to watch complete strangers sing and B-list celebrities dance, we’ll give those experiences to them Olympic-style. It’s a double whammy, because Olympic athletes are essentially the ultimate combination of complete strangers and B-list celebs.”

Though Randy Jackson is apparently “busy, dude,” Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell have signed on as judges for the singing competition; among the professional dancers who will pair with the best of the Olympians is 2-time Dancing with the Stars winner Cheryl Burke.

Early indications have Greco-Roman wrestler Rulon Gardner as the favorite for the dancing competition, and the odds for the singing contest point to 2004 Women’s Badminton Gold Medalist Ning Zhang of China who is widely known for her rousing rendition of “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.”