Beijing's main Olympic stadium was barely visible under the city's murky sky on Monday, just four days before the Games are due to begin. The smog returned despite claims by Chinese officials that drastic anti-pollution measures had slashed the chances of Olympic events having to be rescheduled. The familiar murky air seen in the capital reduced visibility to a few hundred metres (yards) just four days before the Olympic opening ceremony.
An Olympic official said the low visibility was due to high humidity, a
natural phenomenon. But he was optimistic that athletes, officials and spectators would enjoy good air quality during the Games. The spokesman for the organizers, Sun Weide, said pollution control measures over the past decade would work.
According to data from Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, air quality on Monday was still considered a "blue sky day". Tests conducted by the BBC news service found one major pollutant, particulate matter, was almost six times higher than the recommended level.
The World Health Organization’s target is 50 micrograms per cubic meter. The BBC recorded levels in Beijing at 292 micrograms on Monday. The test was done at a time of day when many Olympic events will take place.
The International Olympic Committee has said endurance events lasting more than one hour could be delayed if the pollution is too bad. It remains unclear how bad the pollution has to be before an event is postponed.
Men's world record holder Haile Gebreselassie of Ethiopia pulled out of the Beijing marathon citing concerns the smog could damage his health, although he will run the 10,000 meters.
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