Olympic cyclists

[Trek420]

Is the pollution and air quality really that bad in China? I would think they are exaggerating.

I don't want to politicize the thread so let's try real hard to keep this to cycling but yes, it's that bad. Bad enough that it effects us here. This is from 2007. We all breath the same air

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?sec...ent&id=5747398

[mimitabby]

yes, Trek, you're right, it all blows around, but when there's an inversion, bad air gets trapped in an area, particularly when the emissions of that area are out of control.

from today's news:

Air pollution shrouds Beijing on eve of Olympics

By TINI TRAN – 3 hours ago

BEIJING (AP) — The wall of gray haze around the National Stadium and across the city cut visibility down to a mile. On the eve of opening ceremonies, Beijing's polluted air took center stage Thursday as the most visibly pressing problem for Olympic organizers who had promised to clean up the Chinese capital.

[sgf726]

I travel to Beijing on a regular basis for business and the pollution is usually pretty bad, most days you can't even tell there are mountains right outside the city.

We commented at work as well how the athletes were going to perform with the air quality, the first time I went there I ran outside but didn't feel good afterwards since then I have stayed on the treadmill in the gym as I didn't want to breathe the air.

[Duck on Wheels]

Thor Hushovd dropped the Olympics altogether. He hasn't said so explicitly, but I imagine the pollution was a factor. He was battling a chest cold towards the end of the TdF, and though he won a race in Norway just two days before the Olympic team left for Beijing, and had said beforehand that he considered that race a test of whether he was recovered enough to go, he nevertheless decided not to go "because he has to give priority to his health".

[Kalidurga]

Fred Dreier of VeloNews gives his take of the pollution in Beijing, including photos: "After a few days in Beijing, VeloNews' Fred Dreier says masks seem like a really good idea".

Like Trek, I don't want to politicize the thread, so I'm keepin' my opinions to myself and letting those photos do the talking.

[cyclinnewbie]

What I don't get is that they have known for what, 4 years or so that the Olympics would be held in their uber-polluted city, and have done next to nothing to rectify the situation, and THAT has been done too late to make a difference. Doesn't the IOC take environment into account? Just seems really stupid to me. And I've read a couple of reports the past couple of weeks about athletes boycotting because of the air quality. Such a shame.

[Grog]

I agree that "cold hard cash" has a lot to do with this and I'm not too impressed with the IOC, but then, the IOC has never really impressed me in the past...

This being said, I would be curious to see some hard data about this pollution thing. Los Angeles and Athens are not especially "clean air" cities either, and lots of athletes were sick in Athens (I'm a bit too young to remember much about LA). Any data, anyone?

[shootingstar]

At the time, Beijing won the Olympic bid to host the event, I truly wondered the sanity ..given the air quality.

I haven't been to Asia...yet. But I should have gone and nearly did, before Tienamen Square massacre event occurred.

Air quality was better then in Beijing. Now I worry with my partner's higher sensitivity to air pollution due to his allergies..

Most people that I know who lived for several years in the major Asian cities Bangkok, Beijing, Manila....marvel at the "clearer" air of Canada where they are now.

Beijing's pollution might be made more complex and dangerous because of China's coal-burning industries in nearby regions.. and other toxic particulate where it might be more heavily regulated for emissions in Canada and the U.S.

[Susan126]

My brother travels a lot for his company and he always tells me how bad Beijing's air is and not to go there for this reason.

He tries not to go himself but sometimes he just has to because of work. He was just saddened when he heard that the olympics were to take place there.

What was the IOC thinking????????? It's all about the $$$$$$ SAD!

Bad air and athletes . . . NOT GOOD!

[cyclinnewbie]

Heaven forbid we should offend anyone. So the pollution AND the human rights violations will just be two huge giant proverbial elephants in the corner for the duration of the Olympics. I hate politics.