The athletes won't be the only ones going for gold in Beijing 2008 - the major sportswear labels, Adidas, Nike, and many other companies are jumping at the opportunity to penetrate the Chinese market. It's virgin territory and potentially very lucrative. For many Chinese, athletic shoes made in Europe and the U.S. are obligatory status symbols. As the Olympic Games approach, the big sportswear producers are joining the athletes in giving everything they've got to their preparations. But far more is at stake than a medal on a ribbon: this competition is about nothing less than leadership in the potentially largest market on Earth. 1.3 billion Chinese mean 2.6 billion feet in need of footwear.

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In Focus documentaries and reports cover business and science, culture and education, historical and present day events as well as sports and leisure. This wide variety of topics is investigated in depth and presented in an informative format, making for captivating television, courtesy of Germany's Deutsche Welle news network.