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Beijing marks one year to Olympics Aug. 8: The Chinese capital begins the countdown to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, which are projected to be the most expensive in history.

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Many pick China to dislodge the United States as the No. 1 gold-medal winner, which would leave another indelible mark on the games.

“I think it’s going to be a very difficult to follow their act,” said Steven Roush, chief of sport performance for the U.S. Olympic Committee. “I think the bar has been set pretty high when it comes to the quality of the venues. This is going to draw an audience that has typically not been attracted to the Olympics.”

Beijing has 60 sponsors and suppliers, almost 50 percent more than Athens in 2004. There are three “official” beers, not just one, and Adidas is widely reported to have paid $100 million for its sponsorship.

Gerhard Heiberg of Norway, who leads the IOC’s marketing commission, said more than $1 billion has been paid locally for the rights to the lucrative five-ring emblem.

And like any Olympics, there are security concerns. Though they, too, are unique.

Many revolve around keeping protesters from using the stage to air grievances against China’s communist government. Security preparations have been kept quiet, but state media says Beijing has allocated $300 million for security — only 20 percent of the spending in Athens. In recent weeks, the government has released details about police readiness drills, hostage situations and handling dirty bombs.

The biggest threat might be foreigners hoping to highlight causes like labor rights or China’s role in the Darfur crisis. Other problems could center on domestic groups like Tibetans who seek autonomy, or Taiwan activists who want formal independence for the island.

Taiwan embarrassed Beijing in April when it backed out of the torch relay. It argues the proposed route implies the breakaway island is part of China.

The IOC treads lightly on any political controversy.

“The way in which the games are being used as a platform for groups with political and social agendas is regrettable,” said IOC member Hein Verbruggen, who leads the group overseeing Beijing preparations. He’s called the games “a force for good,” but suggested that shoddy treatment of activist groups could threaten the reputation of the Beijing Games.

Beijing-born Xu Xin, a political scientist at Cornell University, said control, not reform, is what most concerns the government.

“Our Olympic legacy is precious,” said Shen Yongshan, a top executive on the National Indoor Stadium. “Visitors will be come for the Games, but they’ll also come back years later to recall these Olympics. The invisible legacy is as important as the visible one.”

Both are enormous.

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