With the health of athletes who participate in the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games being of the utmost importance to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the IOC's Medical Commission has been appraising the air quality in the host city of Beijing.

An analysis in March—including temperatures, wind, humidity and SO2, NO2, CO, Ozone and PM10 readings—was made by the Beijing Environment Protection Bureau from August 8-27, 2007; and given to the IOC. The data have been evaluated on the basis of WHO 2005 interim target standards.

The IOC Medical Commission is satisfied with the outcome of its analysis which indicates that the health of the vast majority of athletes competing in the 2008 Olympic Games will not be impaired. These findings are also supported by the fact that no health issues related to air quality were reported to the IOC by any team physicians looking after athletes who competed in the August 2007 test events. Nor were there any air quality-related problems reported at the IAAF Junior World Championships held in Beijing in August 2006.

The IOC is confident that measures already put in place, in addition to those planned by Beijing organizers and city authorities, will continue to improve the city's air quality leading up to and during the Games.

The groundless rumors saying that athletes competing in Beijing Olympics will have to put on gauze masks for the sake of health have been crushed by the hard facts. "The air quality in Beijing is generally satisfactory and much better than expected. I have visited the city several times, and never used masks; nor will I use one to attend the Games,"said Arne Ljungqvist, Chairman on the IOC's Medical Commission.

By People's Daily Online