Beijing blanketed by smog three days before Olympics
BEIJING (AFP) - The Chinese capital Beijing was again blanketed by smog on Tuesday despite intense anti-pollution measures, three days before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
A murky haze hung over the Olympic village in the north of the city, obscuring the famous Bird's Nest stadium where the ceremony will be held on Friday.
International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge warned last year that poor air during the Games could result in the suspension of some events, particularly endurance races such as the marathon.
And athletes arriving in the city to compete in the event have already begun raising concerns about the air quality.
"The organisation is very good, but the pollution is no good," said Turkish weightlifting coach Talat Unlu.
Indonesian team official Syafraidi Cut Ali said his country's athletes would be taking precautions in an attempt to beat the smog.
"We stay in our bedrooms and the dining rooms, not in the open," Ali told AFP. "It is a problem."
Beijing enjoyed unusually blue skies last weekend following last-minute anti-pollution measures introduced on July 20.
Those measures included removing one million of the city's 3.3 million cars from the roads and closing down more than 100 heavily polluting factories and building sites.
Chinese authorities have said they could take even more drastic steps if air quality remained poor.
Source: YN
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