More than 560,000 people have applied to be volunteers at the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, almost a year since recruitment began, the largest response in the history of the Games.

More than 310,000 are from Beijing and 6.5 percent are residents outside Chinese mainland, according to the latest statistics released by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG).

The majority of the applicants are aged below 36 with bachelor degrees or higher. 58 percent of the applicants are female.

A total of 100,000 Games-time volunteers will be chosen for the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics -- about 70,000 for the Olympics and about 30,000 for the Paralympics, both exceeding the figures from the Athens Olympics, whose applicant and volunteer numbers set a then-record high.

Around 160,000 volunteer applications were received before 2004 Athens Olympic while 60,000 were finally offered volunteer positions.

Applicants who fail to make the final cut may be recruited as a "City Volunteer", who would be working at designated spots across the city to ensure the smooth progress of the Games and help overseas visitors to overcome the language barrier.

Applicants be trained on Olympic-related knowledge, basic regulations and skills before they become qualified volunteers, according to the head of the Volunteer Department.

(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2007)