International movie superstar Jackie Chan is better known for his martial artistry than his riding skills, but the action actor is taking some time off this year from filming to promote the 2008 Beijing Olympics, according to the Reuters news service.

The 53-year-old Chan, who reportedly participated in a portion of the Olympic Torch run in Greece four years ago, is filming commercial spots for the Summer Games, including one about the equestrian contests to be held in Hong Kong.

A native of China, Chan has been named one of the goodwill ambassadors for the global sporting event, which is scheduled to get underway Aug. 8. The Beijing Olympics, which has received criticism for the potential of heavy smog to mar the games, also suffered computer server crashes due to the crush of ticket requests.

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