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Haile Gebreselassie pulls out of Beijing Olympic marathon

Posted on , Updated on by Elias Kifle

(AP) VALENCIA, Spain — World-record holder Haile Gebrselassie is almost certain to miss the marathon at the Beijing Olympics because of the city’s poor air quality.

The Ethiopian long-distance star has asthma and he fears damage to his health running through the streets of the Chinese capital.

Gebrselassie would be a gold-medal favorite if he did take part.

His agent said the athlete will make a final decision after May 24, when he will know if he has qualified for the 10,000m at Beijing.

Gebrselassie won back-to-back gold medals in the 10,000m at the 1996 Atlanta Games and the 2000 Sydney Games. The Ethiopian, who suffered from inflammation of the Achilles tendon leading up to the Athens Games, finished fifth in 2004.

He turned his focus to road racing and the marathon following the 2004 Olympics. Gebrselassie has won several marathons — including in Berlin, where he set a world record — leading up the Beijing Games.

Because of pollution, many countries have based their training camps outside China before the Olympics begin Aug. 8.

Beijing to ban cars during Olympics

(AFP) – Beijing authorities will definitely go ahead with a ban on some cars during the Olympics to help ease pollution during the Games, a city official was quoted in the state press saying on Friday.

“Automobiles, excluding taxis, buses and emergency vehicles, are to stay off roads every other day in accordance with the even and odd numbers on the licence plates,” Xinhua news agency quoted vice-mayor Ji Lin as saying.

“The ban is aimed to ensure air quality during the sport events in Beijing.”

A plan to compensate drivers for not using their car was being worked out and would be announced later, he said on the sidelines of China’s annual parliamentary session. No other details were immediately divulged.

Chinese authorities have said previously in vague terms that cars may be taken off the roads during the Games, but Ji’s comments were the first time concrete measures had been publicised.

Beijing is one of the world’s most polluted cities and some of the 10 000 athletes coming for the August Games, including Ethiopian distance great Haile Gebrselassie, have expressed concerns about the health impacts of competing.

The capital underwent a four-day trial ban on cars in August 2007, one year before the 2008 Games, but the air quality did not show marked improvement.

During the one-year countdown, International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge warned that endurance events such as the marathon could be postponed to protect competitors.

“The task of bringing environmental pollution and traffic congestion under control remain arduous,” Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong said in a speech to the city’s legislature in January.

Guo said Beijing would enact strict standards on emissions this year and take other steps to curb pollution, such as closing down factories and suspending construction work in the city.

8 thoughts on “Haile Gebreselassie pulls out of Beijing Olympic marathon”

  1. haile, ye enate kemise awolakefegn maletu teteh hedeh ashenefena ye ethiopian bandira asekele. you have nothing to with enironmental pollution. You do notneed to give your ear for the westren and USA’s anti china’s politics. USA and the wsetren countries have applied the formula of free trade, trade with out boundary, when the china’s commudities invaded their country and crashed down their economy, now they are trying to change the rule of the game in different direction to hurt china’s economy. So you shouldnot them to use you as their propogandist . The wrold enivronment is being changed because of their different types of chemicals and their different types of weapons. not only by china’s pollution

  4. What a stupid! Who ever he is he must not say like that the man is too mean. Haile is a man of his time. He is not only for Ethiopia he is for the world, for Humanity in general. Whether he likes money or he hates it he will remain a hero in human history. Be positive! Let’s think for the good of tomorrow. I belive whter he get megamillion dollar or not he will run marathon with in 2 hour and three minute.
    Thank you, progress to humanity, lasting peace to all of us!

  6. Lij Haile please keep your plan to yourself. I know you dont wanat to hurt the Chineese, but I am watching the westeren media using it to undermine Chinas effort to organize one of the greatest olympic ever.

  7. ANONYMOUS,IT IS NOT A STUPIDITY. i HEARD ON THE SAME DAY BY BBC about haile’s decision not to run in the coming olymic marathon ,because of china’s environmental pollution. IF he has any other personal problem or another plan, that is another case. but china’s pollution should ne be the cause for his decison. I am pro HAIle , but i am so up set how the westren medias are trying to hijack china;s olypmic game because of china;s economic growth. China become africa’s new parthren, most africa’s countries are doing well with china, so we should not re-examine our move not hurt china.we have good experince how the westren countries have treated africa and left behind with civil war.

  8. It’s unfortunate that he has to pull out of the game. But the the game is bigger than any one athlete, it’s his lose not being on the biggest stage of the world in 2008 Beijing Olympics.

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