International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge said on Friday that poor air quality in Beijing could disrupt events in next year’s games.
”We will not hesitate to delay or postpone events if the air quality could harm athletes,” Rogge said.
Beijing is often shrouded in a thick industrial haze and air pollution has frequently been cited as a major threat to the successful hosting of the August 8 to 24 games.
Rogge praised Chinese efforts to address the pollution, saying that ”substantial progress has been made”.
”Ambitious requirements for improving Beijing’s air quality will produce benefits,” he said during a speech in Chicago, which is the United States candidate for the 2016 Olympic bid.
”It is still a challenge, but pollution is decreasing.”
Rogge said the Olympic bid has resulted in a number of important changes in China.
”There is also progress in the area of press freedom,” he said, noting that China has opened the door to 25 000 foreign journalists who will cover the games and also report about the country.
”We expect the games to have a lasting economic impact on Beijing,” he added. ”The Chinese are creating world-class transportation and communication systems to better introduce themselves to the rest of the world.”
China has also implemented an education programme for 400-million students in 500 000 schools about Olympic history and other cultures and societies, he noted. – Sapa-AFP