Olympic Updates

Following a study of the Chinese capital's air quality by four independent scientists last August, the IOC have concluded that the majority of athletes will be unaffected by the conditions.

But endurance athletes, such as Britain's world-record holding marathon runner Paula Radcliffe, could be hit by the smog, along with competitors in road cycling, mountain biking, triathlon and race walking.

In a further blow, Professor Arne Ljungqvist, head of the IOC's medical commission, revealed yesterday that asthmatics like Radcliffe were likely to suffer more than most.

The IOC are now preparing to monitor the pollution in Beijing on a daily basis during the Games and are drawing up plans to postpone events if pollution and humidity pose a threat to competitors. (...more)