Olympians air a gripe about Beijing... HTFU.

The Great Wall is.... Great, originally uploaded by jfilliol1.

Olympians air a gripe about Beijing

The Beijing Olympic clock, right, is barely visible as smog engulfs the Great Hall of People in Beijing, China.
Fearing the pollution, some will train offshore and may wear masks; others talk of skipping all or part of the Summer Games.
By Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 12, 2008
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.

More at the LA Times