The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will study recent air quality tests to assess the risks posed by pollution for athletes at next year's Beijing Olympics.
The IOC said the information will be used to make contingency plans for rescheduling events if the smog levels are too high.
"If at the end of the day, you know you have a risk and then apply your contingency and your numbers are not better, you may have to decide to work on the rescheduling of the competition if necessary," Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli said on Tuesday.
China is trying improve the quality of Beijing's air, and IOC president Jacques Rogge has repeatedly warned that events could be postponed if the levels are hazardous.
The issue was reviewed by the IOC executive board during a video conference with Beijing organizers, less than eight months before the Aug. 8 to Aug. 24 Olympics.
Felli said the Beijing committee turned over the findings from August when pollution-reduction measures were in place, including the removal of about 1.3 million of the city's 3 million cars from the road.
"We have just received the numbers," he said. "We have not analyzed them yet. We are trying to understand ... how this type of air quality could affect the athletes," he said.
The readings should offer details of small particle and ozone levels and how pollution varies through the day. Micro-particles associated with air pollution can potentially trigger asthma attacks and cause heart problems among athletes in endurance events.
Felli said the contingency also covers reducing traffic, closing industrial plants and halting some construction work during the games.
Felli and Hein Verbruggen, who heads the IOC commission monitoring Beijing's preparations, will travel to the Chinese capital before the end of he year for further talks on pollution and other matters.
IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said the board agreed on the framework for blogging by athletes during the Beijing Games but more time was needed to finalize the details. The rules are expected to limit blogging to first-person diaries, and prohibit blogging about other athletes or coaches.
The IOC also reviewed preparations for the 2012 London Olympics, including the possibility of moving the canoe-kayak course because of contamination at the original site.
Doping fears prevented former US Open champion Emma Raducanu from treating insect bites on the eve of the Australian Open, she said, with players increasingly wary about ingesting contaminated substances. The British player was speaking in the wake of high-profile doping cases involving Iga Swiatak and Jannik Sinner. “I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” the 22-year-old said, recalling an incident on Friday. “I got really badly bitten by, I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” she added. The bites “flared up and swelled up really a
The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with several massive wildfires burning across the greater Los Angeles area. The Kings and Flames were scheduled to play on Wednesday night at the Kings’ downtown arena. The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers were scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena last night. “Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the Kings said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard working first responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league’s support in keeping our
TWO IN A WEEK: Despite an undefeated start to the year playing alongside Jiang Xinyu of China, Wu Fang-hsien is to play the Australian Open with a Russian partner Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien yesterday triumphed at the Hobart International, winning the women’s doubles title at the US$275,094 outdoor hard-court tournament, while McCartney Kessler lifted the trophy in the women’s singles. Fourth-ranked Wu and partner Jiang Xinyu of China took 1 hour, 15 minutes to defeat Romania’s Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) at the Hobart International Tennis Centre, their second title in a week. Wu and Jiang on Sunday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, beating Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US. Their winning ways continued in Australia as they stretched
EL CLASSICO: La Liga champions Real Madrid would face Barcelona in the Super Cup final tomorrow. Barça secured their final spot after a 2-0 win over Bilbao on Wednesday Real Madrid would chase a record-equaling 14th Spanish Super Cup title in the final against Barcelona after second-half goals by Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo helped them to a 3-0 win over Mallorca in the semi-finals on Thursday. England midfielder Bellingham broke the deadlock after the hour mark with a low shot into the middle of the goal before Mallorca defender Martin Valjent’s own goal doubled the lead in stoppage time followed by a Rodrygo strike from close range. Spanish champions Real are to play Barcelona for the trophy tomorrow after goals by Gavi and Lamine Yamal earned Barça a 2-0 win over
RSS