USA/CHINA: OLYMPIC GAMES - IOC chief Jacques Rogge says Beijing pollution could postpone some endurance events in upcoming 2008 Olympic Games

International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge on Thursday (November 1) said air pollution could delay some endurance events at next summer's Beijing Olympics though he was confident in general about air quality for the Games. Rogge briefed reporters at a round-table discussion in New York. Afterwards he spoke to Reuters Television. "We have some concerns in atmospheric pollution, they are working hard on that, but if the levels of atmospheric pollution on a particular day would be too high for long distance endurance sports, we could postpone them for a couple of hours," said Rogge. Rogge said delaying competition because of conditions was not unusual at an Olympics, where events can be affected by too much wind or lack of wind, steamy heat or frigid temperatures and that he believed that measures undertaken by China to improve the air quality would help. Rogge added that IOC officials would be closely monitoring pollution levels. Pollution levels in Beijing have risen dramatically since 2001 when the city was awarded the 2008 Olympics and Rogge admitted that air pollution was a question mark, but forecast a successful Games.

ITN Source | November 2, 2007

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