Special Olympics 2007: Groundbreaking new media event

(Also published at Poynter's tidbits.)
Attending events remotely, following proceedings through streamed technology and otherwise, has become more common over the past few years. But in the coming week, Shanghai will be breaking a couple of records in this field.
The Special Olympics 2007 (meant for athletes with intellectual limitations) starts Oct. 2 in Shanghai. The achievements of 7,500 athletes will be broadcast on a special site, Special Olympics Live.
Each athlete will have his or her own page on the site, updated 24 hours per day. Nearly 300 university students, including 15 students from the University of North Carolina, will work around the clock to capture footage of every single athlete and then immediately edit and upload content to the site. This way, supporters unable to attend the World Games can watch the athletes from their country compete.
This groundbreaking new media event is mainly focusing on friends and family members who can't make it to Shanghai. However, it will also become a benchmark for upcoming sporting events like the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Special Olympics Live is a collaborative effort between Special Olympics and the University of North Carolina with support from Fudan University School of Journalism, Shanghai International Studies University, East China Normal University, Shanghai University and Western Academy Beijing.
The broadcast will kick off with the Oct. 2 opening ceremony that will be nothing short of sensational. I live opposite the Shanghai Stadium, where large-scale rehearsals have been taking place for days. Competitions will start Oct. 3.