BEIJING SNAPSHOT: Closed loop has advantages — for shoppers

By STEPHEN WADE
AP Sports Writer

BEIJING (AP) — If you’re a journalist, there are few advantages to working inside the hermetically sealed “closed loop” at the Beijing Olympics. The “bubble” separates reporters, athletes and Olympic staff from the real Beijing public, giving us access only to venues, the media center, or our hotel. But it’s the place to be if you’re shopping for souvenirs. That’s because the coveted fluffy Olympic panda mascot — named Bing Dwen Dwen — is in short supply everywhere around Beijing, but available in limited quantities inside the souvenir shop at the media center.