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Beijing pollution "a risk to athletes' health"

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Beijing plans to take about half of its 3.5 million cars off the roads and partially shut down industry in the surrounding areas for two months for this year's Olympics, planned for August 8-24, and Paralympics. But endurance events at the event, such as the marathon and cycling road races, could pose a health risk if they are staged on heavily polluted days, the International Olympic Committee has announced, adding that it may have to reschedule the events. Despite an £8.6 billion clean-up operation in the last decade, Beijing is still one of the most polluted cities in the world.

mischabarrett

21 responses // Beijing pollution "a risk to athletes' health"

  • http://current.com/items/88882602_pelosi_bush_should_bo...
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    Meanwhile, China's alleged human rights abuses and the furore surrounding its oppressive approach to Tibet independence protests, have prompted officials as high up as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to suggest the boycotting of the games opening ceremony. Check the thread for more.
    mischabarrett
  • http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/olympics/arti...
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    A world record holding Ethiopian runner has decided against running in either the marathon or the 10,000 in Beijing due to the air quality http://tinyurl.com/2sn9yx). Given that reports have found the air is only safe to breathe for an hour, runners who do choose to compete are concerned about the long term effects the long races might have on their lungs and ultimately on their careers.
    Tori
  • Uhm....why was this city chosen?

    Is that a dumb question? Because to me, it seems pretty shortsighted to have not thought of this in advance. It's not like Beijing became unsafe and insanely polluted overnight...
    AngelinaH
  • I'm curious. They say that an hour is okay. What about the time spent in the open watching others compete? What about the risk to everyone who attends the games?
    I know in the past I always thought that boycotting the games only hurt the people who didn't get to compete. Now, would we be hurting them less by boycotting? And then we have the violence. I have to agree with Nancy Pelosi on that one. We should boycott.
    JoQ
    • JoQ
    • 3 months ago
  • I heard they even had to import foods so that the athletes wouldn't test positive for steriods because of all the crap in domestic foods
    billlee
  • Yes, it just sucks, because China is, more and more, an important international figure. Why would we have them spend all this money on preparing for the games, when it was in NO ONE'S best interest to actually be IN the city?

    Now we are going to use the games for political pressure, and possibly China's embarassment? Doesn't seem entirely tactful or in the spirit of the Olympics.
    AngelinaH
  • As horrible as this is for us. I think its a good wake up call for China, you think this is bad now? I'm sure before the games it was much worse. They just have so many problems to solve in so little time.
    ipodrulz
  • no duh. If I were an Olympic athlete I wouldnt touch China with a 12 foot pole vault.
    stephenthomson
  • And for the record, one city's air pollution can circulate the globe in as little as 3 weeks.
    stephenthomson
  • It's very hard to believe that we chose Beijing over Paris and Toronto...but it seems like the politically correct thing to do.

    I guess?
    morgantepsic
  • woah..
    when i was in NYC,, i heard that jsut walking and biking in Manhattan everyday.. would be the equivalent to smoking 2 packs a day.
    i wonder if that is true.
    Luckasa
  • A Marathon is Beijing is equivalent to running full-speed through the smoke to the cashier's window at the Rio @7am right after the cash drop.
    nkovach
  • A 50m dash in Beijing is equivalent to sleeping 9 hours in a coal mine.
    morgantepsic
  • environmental issues matter to all of us. here's to the global community's monitoring power. consciousness raising is still a viable way to push for change
    OverHere
  • F.Y.I. Why travel to Beijing you ask? Check out this blurb from a Beijing travel guide. I was ready to click away after reading just the first few lines. I guess they save the good stuff for last.

    The capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing (formerly Peking) is a very modern and exceedingly busy city (nearly 14 million people call it home) with high-rise buildings, international hotels and sprawling suburbs. The city is abuzz and bristling with cranes on the skyline as construction projects give rise to new skyscrapers and modernisation proceeds apace. However, Beijing also encompasses numerous attractions of cultural and historical interest, of which some, such as the Great Wall, former Imperial palace (known as the Forbidden City), the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and the remains of Peking Man at Zhoukoudian, are UNESCO-endorsed World Cultural Heritage Sites. Chinese history and culture fascinates Western visitors, and Beijing is the place to start exploring it. The city abounds in imperial palaces, temples, mansions, gardens and tombs that epitomise classical Chinese architecture. It has 120 museums and more than 100 public gardens.
    amaness
  • a 1600m steeplechase in Beijing is like bathing your lungs in a vat of toxic sludge for a week
    BubbaParisFan
  • 120 Museums and 100 public gardens, all of which you are encouraged to visit if you dont keel over from respiratory infection! thumbs up.
    stephenthomson
  • It's a shame our athletes have to compete in those condentions. Why did we choose to have the games there again? lol
    mr_jaron2u
  • at least you can get a new pair of lungs on the beijing black market.
    BooksBrown
  • what you have the pleasure of witnessing , in your lifetime here on earth , is a quantity of BS which your great grandkids will not live long enough to see equalled , enjoy the show .
    malathion
  • that's an awesome idea, but it's sort of sad it took Olympic level athletes, and not its many sickly citizens, to get enivornmental policies to change.
    Peewong

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