The cost of the Olympic opening ceremony in blood and sweat is starting to emerge.

Here's some of what Chinese performers endured to take part in the opening ceremony in Beijing: They spent months putting in 16-hour days, fainted from heatstroke in marathon rehearsals and even wore adult diapers so they could keep going. Many were injured in falls.

The Chinese director says he could have never pulled it off in the United States, where he once directed an opera. He tells a local newspaper he was limited to four-and-a-half day weeks and had to give performers coffee breaks. He also says they complained if they were criticized.

The director says only one other country could have gotten such uniformity -- North Korea.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)