Concerns are mounting about how Beijing’s air pollution may affect Olympic athletes next year. The New York Times reports from the Track and Field World Championships in Osaka, Japan, where the extreme heat and humidity has made competing difficult for some athletes:
At next year’s Olympics in Beijing, if pollution levels in that city are not abated to limits acceptable for the athletes, experts say, conditions for the marathon and other endurance events will be much worse than they were here Saturday.
In a visit to China this month, Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, said some Beijing Olympic events might be postponed if the pollution would put the athletes at risk. [Full text]