Left: An old logo , Right: The logo of Olympic Beijing 2008
Below left: old sports logo, Below right: Logo for Special Olympic Game
Can pictures bridge cultures
(1) the human shape is also the Chinese word "Beijing, the capital of China". The old character-type calligraphy can served as a token of traditional , historical value, significant culture.
(2) The picture can be interpreted as a a runner (probably a leading runner) just
reached the end , and wins his/her gold medal;
or a dancer, or kicking a football, or kicking a soccer ( all slow motions ) ........
there're a few more different meanings that an inventive veiwer might imagine.
(3) In China, calligraphic arts is a sign of high culture and value (arts to connate superior status, taste, affluence in USA, etc).
(4) Using human shape is because Olympic games always emphasize "human being".
(5) the graphic is also a Chinese stamp which means commitment, promise.
(6) the curved shapes are usually interpreted as a more abstract quality of gentlness or smoothness, viewers may feel it's slow, calm, soft, weak, potent, non-active, etc. This may affect viewers by subliminal imagery (sharp-angled shapes appear powerful and dynamic in the eyes of viewers).
(7) For Chinese, the circled or curved shapes can serve as a peaceful sign.
(8) the runner just reached the end with a "V" sign, but seems to be not very clear compared to those in other logos (see attached pics).
(9) it's a logo with ancient china atmosphere/ flavor.
(10) marketing aesthetics book mentions "good" logos of those sports or
fast-speed enterprises usually are dynamic style, i.e., NIKE's logo is a fast pen-drawing
like wind , FedEx hides an arrow between "E" and "x"
Bejing's logo shows different style for sports, which usually want
FASTER, HIGHER, STRONGER (this is the theme of an int'l cartoon exhibition held in
Greece, 2004).
(11) Beijing's Olympic logo is distinctive/different. (Distinctiveness is one of most important advertising strategies for drawing attention).
(12) "Beijing 2008" is written in an unofficial , straight-forward , free style.
(13) Red represents China, PRC national flag is red.
(14) The moment that the sports-person tried all efforts to reached the end, no matter win or lose, is touching heart .
(15) The famous theme music in Oscar best-award film "The Chariot of Fire" ( background: Olympic Game of 1923), is usually played together with slow motion images in TV, or even in TV commercials, like NIKE advertisement selected in UK Shots 2007 or in "Ad Persuasion" program of Discovery Travel and Living 2007, the music matches jog.
Slow motion can express great sportsmanship too. (modified Sept. 2007)
all candidate logos (see "Graphic arts" bimonthly, etc)
Designer said the "T" means a queen's head rock-stone (see pic left), but now
the official answer is "the sheltering eaves of Taiwan in a symbol of the island
as a warm home" , 
Japanese Tokyo logo for tourist sight-seeing 
cartoon created earlier