Gebrselassie out of Beijing marathon
Haile Gebrselassie yesterday became the highest profile athlete to underline the growing concerns about pollution at this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing by revealing he will not be running the marathon because he fears for his health.
Gebrselassie, like Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, suffers from asthma and his decision to make a stance could have wide-ranging implications among other competitors. “The pollution in China is a threat to my health and it would be difficult for me to run 42km in my current condition,” said Ethiopian Gebrselassie, the world record-holder, who will be 35 next month. “But I am not pulling out of the Olympic event in Beijing all together. I plan to participate in the 10,000m.”
Since Beijing won the right to stage the Games, smog in the city has been a thorny topic for the marathon and road cycling events. But China has been taking as many measures as it can to prevent problems. Ironically, only at the weekend, Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee, stressed how much work has taken place. Having said last year that endurance events could even be postponed if pollution levels become too severe, Rogge insisted: “We will see that they have made major progress.”
Tags: marathon, rome
March 16th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
You’re right. The US should get the hell out of the Middle East, and leave South America alone, and stop raping little girls in Japan and South Korea, and stop torturing and murdering people in Guantanamo Bay.Racist jackass!
March 17th, 2008 at 12:38 am
That’s right, the reason I’m not watching the Olympics is because it’s my civic duty and not because it totally bores the crap out of me
March 17th, 2008 at 1:29 am
It’s a shame this guy had to pull out due to the pollution. I hope the commies step up their efforts to control the pollution or they are going to look pretty silly when The Olympics get underway.
March 17th, 2008 at 2:19 am
Heh. I knew the Winter Games happened. I didn’t know about John Titor and his ‘predictions’.
March 17th, 2008 at 3:10 am
The Olympics is big tourist money for whatever country secures the rights to hold it. Sweeping that money out from under China’s legs may be the only thing they understand.
March 17th, 2008 at 4:00 am
Simple, clever, I love it! I was all ready to be bitchy about no real description in the title, but this was good.This really does seem like the worst time for China to kill over 100 Tibetans…
March 17th, 2008 at 4:51 am
I have work in a hospital for a few months, I know of 2 people fit 20somethings admitted with lung problems after visiting China
March 17th, 2008 at 5:42 am
I don’t think anyone watches it. No-one buys tickets to it - the only people who go see it are either with corporate events or have been given the tickets by some other promotion etc.Fuck the games
March 17th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Obviously having any world leader monopolizing power is a bad thing, but given the choice between the US or China, I think the best choice is clear from recent events.
March 17th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Why in the name of all goodness are you not a big fan of Family Guy? I have seen every single one of the episodes and movies. So why?
March 17th, 2008 at 8:13 am
Many of these pollutional factories’ products are buyed by USA or other developed countries .Developed countries just moved these highly pollutional industries from their own land to the developing countries. Who to be blamed?
March 17th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Buy as little crap from China as you are able. Do not buy any Olympic “stuff”. Email advertisers of, or on, the Olympics and tell them you won’t buy their products. C’mon, we all know how this works. Hit ‘em in the pocketbook.
March 17th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Made homeless… as in, today there are 1,000,000 more Chinese people sleeping on the street at night than before construction of Olympic venues began?Wow… Americans are even stupider than I thought.
March 17th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Perhaps you should do some historical research of your own.Basically the only country boycotting the 1984 Olympics was the Soviet Union. The mental leaps required from “here to there” are small enough for even someone of your diminutive mental capacity.
March 17th, 2008 at 11:35 am
It’s not that bad there. I’ve been there.Don’t get me wrong, the pollution is really bad. And breathing hard (during exercise) makes the exposure worse. But a week of exposure isn’t going to cause this guy any permanent damage.