Quote:
Originally Posted by bedir than average
Distance runners will breathing more of it in, more often, for a longer period of time while also having a decreased immune system. Several of them also have a form of asthma.
No other athlete at the games will be outdoors and competing at the highest levels for over three hours at their peak performance. Every other athlete gets to rest between heats.
Marathon runners will be particularly hit by the pollutants.
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That all sounds swell, but I doubt that there is any validity to such theories. You don't die from polution because of a few hours of exposure. And of course the other athletes will be outdoors for hours and hours in practice sessions. And even if they were not, is China equipped with some special filtering air conditioning which makes the air indoors okay while the air outdoors is deadly?
Is China today any smoggier than LA in 1980 when they staged the Olympics there without any casualties from polution?
As for the ones who supposedly have asthma, what the hell are they doing trying to be long distance runners?