Pollution levels in Beijing worry Mexican Olympic Delegation

La delegación mexicana que competirá en los Juegos Olímpicos de Beijing, algunos de cuyos atletas han empezado a entrenarse hoy, manifestó su preocupación por los niveles de contaminación de la capital china, que podrían afectar especialmente a los representantes aztecas de marcha y maratón.

Athletes from around the world -- representing the pinnacle of physical skill and conditioning -- will be converging in Beijing next month for the 2008 Olympic Games -- pushing the limits of their bodies and striving for international greatness.

The air they'll be breathing, though, isn't in the same league. Athletes may be competing in thick soot and smog, dangerous ozone levels, and air quality ranked among the world's worst.

These environmental conditions are alarming athletes, doctors, and other health advocates, who are questioning how Beijing's air quality will affect the Olympic athletes' performance -- along with the short-term health of competitors, who have been training years for this event.

"It's like living in the middle of a construction zone," says Bob Lanier, MD, a Fort Worth-based allergy and asthma specialist who visits Beijing several times a year. "It's like any big city. I think that when athletes get off the plane they're going to be really paranoid, because it has been really bad."

One nation has already taken a stand against the smog.

A replica of the Angel of Independence, one of the symbols of Mexico City, will take off for Beijing on Thursday, carrying the best wishes of the Mexican government and people for the 2008 Olympic Games.