Olympic RR - air quality problem

Bronzie
Bronzie Posts: 4,927
edited March 2008 in Pro race
Apparently the IOC have investigated the possibility of the riders taking part in the road race (and runners in the marathon) wearing face masks for the event to alleviate health problems caused by the terrible air quality. Now there's an image I bet the Chinese Government would love to see. Can't imagine the athletes would be any too pleased either.

Apparently, plans have now been shelved following assurances that the air quality will be fine during the games.
It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels

Comments

  • drenkrom
    drenkrom Posts: 1,062
    "air quality will be fine during the games"? How exactly do you clean up the air just like that for a specific date? I know of a few thousand cities around the world that could use that kind of info.

    Riding all out, completely sweaty, in hot and humid weather with a face mask. Sounds like loads of fun! It would make killer photos, though.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    One of my brothers lives there - he reckons the air quality is vastly improved over this time last year - varies day to day but he says it'll be no problem by the Olympics. They are making lots of industry move or temporarily shut down and traffic will be restricted in order to get the air quality up to scratch for the games.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • cannonfodder
    cannonfodder Posts: 183
    They interviewed one of the top marathon runners on Radio 4 the other day as he is missing the Olympics as he believes the damage caused by the smog will jeopardize his health so much as to limit his chances of achieving his future goals (like being the first person to run sub 2:04)
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    cannonfodder wrote:
    They interviewed one of the top marathon runners on Radio 4 the other day
    Haile Gebrselassie I think. He's asthmatic so will not risk running in Bejiing. Paula Radcliffe is having second thoughts about it for the same reasons I believe.
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Will "smog" become the runners equivalent of getting Epstein Barr virus á la Mick Rogers?
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • greenmark
    greenmark Posts: 8
    LangerDan wrote:
    Will "smog" become the runners equivalent of getting Epstein Barr virus á la Mick Rogers?

    Haile Gebrselassie is still going to attend to run the 10k, so there shouldn't be any suspicion of him pulling out to avoid any doping controls.

    The head of the IOC has already said, several times, that they will consider cancelling the marathon and other high-endurance events if the air quality does not get better (but also said that he didn't expect this to be an eventuality).

    Beijing has seen some improvements in air quality recently, although one study suggests that all the improvements can be attibuted to moving the air sampling centres away from the main roads. One thing for sure, the government will close down the roads to all private traffic and it will close down factories in the region. This does mean a few hundred-thousand people will be forced to take extended unpaid leave which they cannot afford, but it's a hoot for those who can afford it.
  • Titanium
    Titanium Posts: 2,056
    As Greenmark says, the government is going to shut down a lot of the polluters in Beijing, temporarily, when the games are on.
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    Face masks are going to create respiratory problems as well as they'll restrict the airflow. There's no good quick solution here.
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    Gebresalasie amused/depressed me by saying that air quality wouldn't be such an issue in the 10,000m because it was over in 20 minutes but the marathon was 2 hours

    My times are nearly double that...
    Oh well, he is amongst the best in the world.


    Apparently the air quality will be OK as all the factories around Beijing will be shut for a period of weeks before the games, electricity will be shut-off from much of the city so they can stop the coal-fired power stations, cars & buses will be banned.
    Amazing what you can do in a country like China !


    But I do see the problem. We went to China a couple of years ago, visited a number of cities of 3, 5, 8million people. All were massively polluted. You could see it. It caught in your throat, just walking about.

    I think it was Chengdu where we arrived late afternoon, went-up to our hotel room on the 7th floor, the sun was blasting-in through the window so I closed the curtains.
    The following morning, opened the curtains and there was another tower block on the other side of the street I'd not seen the night before.
    We went out for the day, came back, you couldn't see it again.
    This was just across the street, not half a mile away - there was so much smoggy pollution from the buses, cars, factories, power stations, people's domestic chimneys and so on that you couldn't see a tower block across the street....
  • flattythehurdler
    flattythehurdler Posts: 2,314
    And as the Chinese well know, if you execute enough dissidents, the air quality will improve for a three week window.
    Dan
  • greenmark
    greenmark Posts: 8
    andy_wrx wrote:
    The following morning, opened the curtains and there was another tower block on the other side of the street I'd not seen the night before.

    Yeah, I get that. But usually is because they've built another tower block overnight.
  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    Spent 3 weeks in Guangzhou a few years ago staying with the daughter: think we only saw the sun 2 or 3 times because of the "haze". Worst my breathing has been since Leeds in the '60s!

    Mind you, air quality should be the last thing on amyone's mind when it comes to deciding whether or not they should take part...
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • OffTheBackAdam
    OffTheBackAdam Posts: 1,869
    Several of the competitors in the Equestrian events have refused to compete and several horse owners have also refused to let their horses be used, a combination of the long journey and the high humidity expected in the Hong Kong region where those events are being held.
    Funny how the lefties organised boycotts of sport in South Africa, but ne'er a peep about China's human rights record from them.
    Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.
  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    I sort of implied a "peep" above.
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Masks would be completely out of the question. No way would you be able to compete full bore with them on.

    I think the Chinese will do anything for their showpiece Games not to go wrong.

    There won't be any smog issues.
  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    "Masks would be completely out of the question. No way would you be able to compete full bore with them on. "

    BUT if everyone wore one, then a level playing field! Might even help reduce the advantage of the say 50% of competitors who have taken "performance enhancers" (what a lovely phrase I always think!).
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • OffTheBackAdam
    OffTheBackAdam Posts: 1,869
    There will be smog issues, the BOA was trying to ban our athletes from wearing masks, they're desperate not to embarass/offend the Chinese authorities.
    Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.

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