Pollution fears for 2008 athletes

BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- Australian athletes have been advised to delay their arrival for the 2008 Olympic Games because of the poor air quality in Beijing, said the country's Olympic chief John Coates.

Cleaning up the air of the Chinese capital is one of the biggest hurdles facing organizers in the year remaining until the Games open on August 8, 2008.

"It's probably the biggest issue for us and our team," Coates told reporters on the sidelines of the briefing for the Chefs de Mission for 2008 Olympic delegations.

"The head coaches have gathered enough information to certainly confirm that we would not be recommending a long period in China before the Games," he added

"That only is going to increase the possibility of respiratory or gastro illness ... "

Coates said the athletes would to do their final preparations at home before going to the Olympic village, as the Australian athletes did for the Seoul Games in 1988.

"You won't be seeing too many of our athletes until four or five days before their competition," he said.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) president said Beijing organizers had confirmed that they would take a large proportion of the city's three million cars off the road this month to test the effect on pollution and ease congestion.

"We were advised that cars will be coming off the road for a trial period in the next few weeks," he added.

"They're talking of a million cars coming off the roads and that's what I suspect will happen during the Games, and more if necessary."

Although a cloud of smog blanketed Beijing early on Tuesday, the Beijing Meteorological Office categorized it as a "blue sky day" -- where pollution levels are "fairly good" or better.

"I haven't done any scientific tests but it certainly doesn't look too good in downtown Beijing," said Coates. "But there are steps being taken."

State media on Tuesday quoted a BOCOG traffic official as saying that some 200km (125 miles) of roads would have special "Olympic Lanes" during the Games, and that banning cars with odd and even number plates on alternate days was being considered.

A wave of health scandals over the last couple of months has focused international attention on the poor, and sometimes dangerous, quality of Chinese food.

Coates said the Australians would be taking precautions.

"The IOC pays very special attention to the quality of the food in the Olympic village, we don't expect that will be a problem," he said.

"But we will still be advising our athletes to eat in the village, not in the local food stalls if they go downtown after training or competition, be careful of bottled water and take every precaution." E-mail to a friend

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