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The International Olympic Committee today released the results of a study done by its medical commission on the air quality in Beijing and how it might impact the health and performances of athletes at this summer's Olympic Games. The report's results were mixed.
"The findings indicate that, at Games time one year out, the health of athletes was largely not impaired," read a statement from the IOC. "This finding is upheld by the fact that no health issues related to air quality were reported to the IOC by any of the team physicians who looked after athletes competing during the August 2007 test events."
Air samples from the period 8 to 29 August, 2007, taken by the Beijing Environment Protection Bureau were used as a basis for the study. Conditions would be expected to be similar during the same timeframe in 2008.
However, the IOC did find that there may be risks to athletes, and possibly impeded performance, in the longest endurance events which last more than one hour, like the marathon, triathlon, road cycling, and mountain biking. The IOC said that alternate competition plans would be drawn up with the relevant sport federations and the local organizing committee to make it possible to hold those events in other venues should the air quality be deemed unacceptable.
"As with all Olympic Games, we want to ensure that air quality risks are mitigated and that measures are put into place to protect the health of the athletes," said the medical commission's chairman Arne Ljungqvist. "The health and safety of the competing athletes is of the utmost importance." He added: "It may be that some events will not be conducted under optimal conditions --which is the reality of sports competitions-- and that we may not see records broken in Beijing."
Ljundqvist said that his team would "monitor the situation daily" during the Olympic Games which open on 8 August.
Recently, Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie, the world record holder for the marathon, said he would not contest the Olympic Marathon because of air quality concerns.
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