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Despite its air pollution issues, Beijing will remain a favorable contender for the 2022 Winter Olympics if it hosts the IAAF World Championships successfully next year, a top IAAF official said.
When the 2014 Beijing Marathon kicked off on Sunday in heavy haze, which had many runners wearing face masks, concerns over air pollution jeopardizing the Chinese capital's prospects for the 2022 bid were raised among the public, including Helmut Digel, council member of the International Association of Athletics Federations.
"That's certainly a problem. But pollution is a problem in all industrial societies, not only in China," Digel told China Daily during the IAAF Coordination Commission's visit to Beijing to examine the city's preparations for the 2015 IAAF World Championships.
The championships will be staged at Beijing's outdoor National Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest, from Aug 22 to 30.
As seen during the marathon on Sunday, thick smog has shrouded Beijing and surrounding areas in Hebei province in recent years due to pollution, casting a pall on outdoor sporting events while drawing health concerns from outdoor exercisers.
The 2,000 athletes competing at the IAAF Worlds, the first comprehensive sporting meet held in Beijing after the 2008 Olympics, might also suffer from the metropolis's bad air quality.
However, Digel emphasized that preparing for the Worlds will motivate Chinese authorities to control pollution and earn support for Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
"I believe the government and the municipality, they do a lot. They know it's not only a risk for foreigners but also for their own people. I believe the efforts are there and the pollution issues will be addressed," said the former IAAF vice-president.
"The World Championships in Beijing are a unique opportunity to tell the world you are able to host the second-biggest event, where you will have 2,000 athletes in one city for nine days. This will be a real challenge regarding accommodation, transportation and also the air pollution. If this is proved again, that's a strong argument to support Beijing's bid for the Winter Games."
Beijing and neighboring Zhangjiakou in Hebei province launched a joint bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics in November and were listed as a final candidate in July against Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Oslo, Norway. Oslo dropped out three months later.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach will lead IOC Executive Board members to witness the event next year in Beijing, and a successful operation will give a positive impression to those high-profile officials, said Digel.
Li Yingchuan, head of the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau, said the preparation for the Worlds has entered the final stage and the measures against air pollution will be expected to clean up the air.
sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn
