BEIJING — Matt Reed was 1,500 meters into the last segment of the triathlon when he found himself gasping for oxygen. His legs were still pounding away at the pavement, his body pumped up after cruising through the swimming and cycling contests, but his lungs were shutting down.
The 32-year-old triathlete from Boulder, Colo., blames air pollution for triggering his asthma attack during the September track meet.
If he returns to Beijing for the Olympics, he says, he will wear a mask except while competing. And he'll try to avoid showing up here until the second week of the Games, when the triathlon is held, even though that would mean missing the Aug. 8 opening ceremonies.
An increasing number of athletes are threatening to skip part or all of the Olympics because they believe the air is unsafe.
Belgian tennis champion Justine Henin said she probably would skip Beijing entirely because of fears the air would aggravate her asthma. The world-record holder in the marathon, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, broke something of an unofficial taboo on complaining about the air when he announced Monday that he would not run the marathon in Beijing, opting instead for the 10,000-meter run, which is easier on the lungs.
Training offshore
Many teams have set up offshore training camps in South Korea or Japan, murmuring polite but shallow excuses to their Chinese hosts that they are avoiding the pre-Olympics media hype or trying to save money.
"There is no other reason but to stay out of the pollution. It's definitely to avoid the air," said Reed, who if he qualifies will be training with the other U.S. triathletes on South Korea's Cheju island. "This air [in Beijing] is just so terrible for your body."
The British Olympic Assn. commissioned scientists to develop a high-tech breathing mask for its athletes to wear while competing. U.S. Olympic officials say their athletes will not wear masks in competition, but might at other times during their stay in Beijing.
For the Chinese, for whom saving face is crucial, it would be a nightmare to have athletes parade on camera wearing masks, or for there to be a raft of no-shows at the opening ceremony. The country says it has invested more than $16 billion in cleaning up Beijing's air for the Olympics. The Chinese pride themselves on mastering nature; in this case, they have literally tried to move heaven and earth.
