Marathon medallist’s claim about Beijing Olympics purely personal
(Xinhua) – The Ethiopian ambassador to China said on Wednesday the world marathon record holder Haile Gebrselassie’s statement about not to compete in the Beijing Olympic marathon is a personal decision made without consulting the country’s Olympic committee.
The Ethiopian runner told Reuters and a few other western media on March 10 that he intends to opt out of the marathon in Beijing because the city’s air pollution might damage his health. But he said he would still attend the 10,000 meters event at the 2008 Games.
“We don’t know what made him to make the announcement, and we don’t understand why he chose this time to say it,” the Ethiopian Ambassador to China, Haile-Kiros Gessesse, told Xinhua reporters.
Gessesse said Beijing has improved its air quality since it won the Olympic bid in 2001, when it suffered from more serious air problems.
“I think his claim is not quite convincing to the public,” the ambassador said.
He said only the Ethiopian Olympic Committee could decide who will play and who will not and the committee has not yet decided the final list of athletes attending the 2008 Olympic games.