Beijing Marathon?

[Rob2012]

Not for the short time. I would call that an excuse on the part of the athletes. People have being living in Beijing with good lungs and health condition.

I simply don't believe this statement. It would be incredible, from the photos I've seen of Beijing, if it doesn't have a higher rate of lung diseases compared to cities without their pollution problems.

And bear in mind, before you make glib comments like "the people of Beijing are alright, aren't they?" that, on the whole, they don't run 26 miles everyday.

It is a concern, so much so that Rogge has mentioned it. If you want to dismiss it through what I can only assume to be an "it'll be alright on the night" attitude, fine. But I'm not that confident it won't be a problem.

[james]

Death due to lungs diseases in uk.

Death due to lungs diseases in uk compare it to China and make a good propotion with the population,ROB. Others countries are there which are worse off than Uk. So, what are we talking about here when athletes never complain about those countries.

True the air in China is polluted but not as bad that athletes cannot adapt.

[Rob2012]

Your link doesn't go anywhere.

Besides, if you're comparing the whole of the UK to the whole of China, as the title of your link implies, you've missed the point completely. Most of China is rural so of course if you take an average for both countries China will compare favourably.

But the Olympics aren't in rural China, they're in Beijing, a city in which there has been a jump in chronic lung diseases usually associated with the elderly among people in their 30s!

Are you seriously telling me that if athletes complain about conditions like those in the photos below they don't have a case?

Edited December 2, 2007 by Rob ♪

[baron-pierreIV]

Well, james, taking into account your non-worry about Beijing's air and the damage that it would do to a long-distance runner's lungs and health, would you recommend that they run with those little oxygen tanks on their back or on wheels behind them? Of course, the winning times will probably be 2:30:00 or so. And not to mention that most of those tanks are good for an hour or so; so like a NASCAR entry, there might be a pit stop or 2.

So, would that be an acceptable solution, james?

Edited December 2, 2007 by baron-pierreIV

[rav3n]

Honestly i can't remember any other olympic host with the same pollution problems and debates like Beijing. The air there is pretty poluted, not recommendable for athletes who have to breath oxigen deeply at this kind of events. They tried to even ''bomb'' the sky with chemicals to try changing this, but nothing. Their promise of a green olympics will surely end on a failure.

The 1990 Asian Games were held at Beijing, does anyone here knows something about how the events went and if there were complains about the pollution on that ocassion?

[Tanaka_Ray]

Honestly i can't remember any other olympic host with the same pollution problems and debates like Beijing. The air there is pretty poluted, not recommendable for athletes who have to breath oxigen deeply at this kind of events. They tried to even ''bomb'' the sky with chemicals to try changing this, but nothing. Their promise of a green olympics will surely end on a failure.

The 1990 Asian Games were held at Beijing, does anyone here knows something about how the events went and if there were complains about the pollution on that ocassion?

in 1990 Beijing didn't have air pollution as bas as today, at that time China economic is not growing fast yet as now....

[james]

Let's be sincere here no athlete has complained yet. We are still going to see athletes go to Beijing on those graceful days to perform their very best.

You are not going to tell me that there are no chinese or other countries athletes living in Beijing live and sound as ever.

Am not saying here that the Chinese shouldn't profer solution to the polluted air but people should paint the image as if when you enter Beijing you inhale the air and have a lung problem,is what the athletes are going to get by going to Beijing to perform. That's scary picture.

When times are that we should take care of the environment as regards to the ozone layer depletion, it would sound rather absolutely right to do something about the air pollution in all of China industrial cities. At the moment the Chinese must have adopt some measures. like the ones some persons mentioned about, the halting of vehicles and industries for sometime so that the air can return back to normal and flighting the atmosphere with chemicals to nuetralize the air pollutant, etc.

[Rob2012]

Let's be sincere here no athlete has complained yet.

Not true....

MADRID, Spain -- Justin Henin might not defend her Olympic gold medal in Beijing because the city's air pollution triggers her asthma.

Henin withdrew from the China Open in September because of her asthma and is worried she might also be forced to skip the Beijing Games next August.

http://sportsline.com/tennis/story/10453905

Edited December 3, 2007 by Rob ♪

[james]

Not true....

MADRID, Spain -- Justin Henin might not defend her Olympic gold medal in Beijing because the city's air pollution triggers her asthma.

Henin withdrew from the China Open in September because of her asthma and is worried she might also be forced to skip the Beijing Games next August.

http://sportsline.com/tennis/story/10453905

I said this earlier excepting the athlete is not in good condition as in the case of Justin Henin you've just mentioned. One the other hand she's already an unhealthy athlete.

[Rob2012]

And you don't think it's a problem that she may have to pull out of Beijing becuase of the pollution? Saying it's only ill athletes who'll be affected is admitting there's a problem because they can compete at the top level everywhere else in the world.

And who's to say healthy athletes won't be affected. Obviously they won't complain like athletes who know they'll be affected like Henin, but the conditions aren't ideal, especially for the long distance events.

Edited December 3, 2007 by Rob ♪

[james]

And you don't think it's a problem that she may have to pull out Beijing becuase of the pollution? Saying it's only ill athletes who'll be affected is admitting there's a problem because they can compete at the top level everywhere else in the world.

And who's to say healthy athletes won't be affected. Obviously they won't complain like athletes who know they'll be affected like Henin, but the conditions aren't ideal, especially for the long distance events.

It is. Considering her condition, it's right she has to pull out of the events. Not withstanding, did she need to be compensated by the Chinese authority for pulling out?

[arwebb]

The brazen contempt shown by James towards the conditions for Olympic athletes to perform to their maximum staggers me. You might watch the Olympics to see people coughing and spluttering and wheezing their way through a smog-coated marathon, but I don't. I want to see the best athletes winning, not the last person standing.

[james]

The brazen contempt shown by James towards the conditions for Olympic athletes to perform to their maximum staggers me. You might watch the Olympics to see people coughing and spluttering and wheezing their way through a smog-coated marathon, but I don't. I want to see the best athletes winning, not the last person standing.

Not what you are taking it to look like. I wouldn't even want to see such too. And, that's not going to happen in Beijing! Never!

[arwebb]

You have shown that you really don't care about what is a major issue. If even one athlete is put off by the smog from competing in Beijing, then that devalues that event and devalues the spectacle of the Games. Does that not bother you, even in the slightest?

[james]

You have shown that you really don't care about what is a major issue. If even one athlete is put off by the smog from competing in Beijing, then that devalues that event and devalues the spectacle of the Games. Does that not bother you, even in the slightest?

J-E-S-U-S! Am scared of you!

It doesn't cos it's not what TIME painted it to look like. China will host as long it has been given the right only that it might be worse among Olympics if the air pollution is not taken care of.

The opening Ceremony worked out just well,right?

[taichi]

How is the air in Beijing now? Did they already clean the pollution there? I hope I could see the Marathon and also the cycling events. Are all the smog disappeared?

[Tanaka_Ray]

Beijing's air pollution still the biggest problem for 2008 at this time

[arwebb]

J-E-S-U-S! Am scared of you!

It doesn't cos it's not what TIME painted it to look like. China will host as long it has been given the right only that it might be worse among Olympics if the air pollution is not taken care of.

The opening Ceremony worked out just well,right?

So you openly admit you are not bothered if the world's leading athletes don't go to Beijing because of the smog? With an attitude like that, quite frankly I struggle to see how you can care about the Olympics at all.

[james]

So you openly admit you are not bothered if the world's leading athletes don't go to Beijing because of the smog? With an attitude like that, quite frankly I struggle to see how you can care about the Olympics at all.

Atleast, I haven't heard that from Justin Gatlin, Asafa Powell and co.

[arwebb]

Given his ban, I'm not sure Mr Gatlin will be overly concerned. But again, you miss the point. If any athlete, particularly one of the stature of the world's leading female tennis player, feels that they cannot go to Beijing because of the smog, does that not devalue the spectacle of the Olympic Games? In my judgement, it seriously dents the competition.

[james]

Given his ban, I'm not sure Mr Gatlin will be overly concerned. But again, you miss the point. If any athlete, particularly one of the stature of the world's leading female tennis player, feels that they cannot go to Beijing because of the smog, does that not devalue the spectacle of the Olympic Games? In my judgement, it seriously dents the competition.

Yes! Let's not conclude at this time cos nobodu is coughing yet. Anold swatzneger and Jackie Chan were there.

[Sir Rols]

JeezusJjames, are you now saying that athletes with asthma, an affliction many, may people around the world suffer from, should just accept they can't compete at games in certain cities? In which case, about 80 per cent of the world's elite swimmers won't be there (swimming is well known as a sport that attracts lots of asthmatics because it helps them deal with it and ease the condition).

James, you're just being an idiot talking about something you don't know squat about. The pollution problems of Beijing are highly documented and of concern to sporting and health bodies around the world. And the Chinese even acknowledge it.

[james]

JeezusJjames, are you now saying that athletes with asthma, an affliction many, may people around the world suffer from, should just accept they can't compete at games in certain cities? In which case, about 80 per cent of the world's elite swimmers won't be there (swimming is well known as a sport that attracts lots of asthmatics because it helps them deal with it and ease the condition).

James, you're just being an idiot talking about something you don't know squat about. The pollution problems of Beijing are highly documented and of concern to sporting and health bodies around the world. And the Chinese even acknowledge it.

Are you saying the Olympic Games are not going to take place in Beijing or what?

[Sir Rols]

Are you saying the Olympic Games are not going to take place in Beijing or what?

No, of course not. Just that the pollution issue is a matter of concern around the world and to the IOC itself, and that the Chinese are doing everything they can think of _ from shurtting factories for the weeks leading up to and during the games, to taking cars off the roads for the games, to cloud seeding to get rain on the dustbowls around the city to try and alleviate it.

It's similar in some ways to the Mexico City games of 1968, when there was major concverns about how the effectb of the high altitude could prove harmful for athletes. And it was proved right, particularly for those competing in long distance events like the great Ron Clarke who suffered health issues ever after those games as a result of him competing.

[taichi]

Maybe the organizing commitee would map out the route that won't affect where there is no polution in the area. I'm going to the Beijing website to see where marathoners will run. I'm going to study the map very carefully and hopefully they would draw the route.