Beijing Olympic Has Becoming the Laughingstock of the World -- China's
Commuter Olympics; Many countries will train their athletes in Japan and
Korea before the Games, due to concerns about pollution and food quality
in Beijing. (GLOBAL).
China's Commuter Olympics; Many countries will train their athletes in
Japan and Korea before the Games, due to concerns about pollution and
food quality in Beijing.(GLOBAL).
Source:Business Week Online (Feb 13, 2008)(898 words)
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Byline: Kenji Hall
When the 2008 Summer Olympics kick off this summer, China's new economic
might will be on display. But whether Beijing's big coming-out party
will be spoiled by the city's notoriously foul air is still a question.
For now, at least, some Olympic teams aren't taking any chances and have
decided to keep their athletes away from the city for as long as
possible. Nearly two dozen countries are finalizing plans to fly their
teams to Japan or Korea for several weeks of training before flying the
athletes to China at the eleventh hour.
Already, teams from Finland, France, Germany, Britain, Sweden, Ireland,
the Netherlands, and the U.S. have said they will hold pre-Olympics
training camps in Japan, and more are expected to sign on in the coming
months, according to Japanese Olympic Committee official Kenji
Ni****mura. In Korea, the story is the same. Ten countries, including
Singa****e, Switzerland, and New Zealand, have committed to sending
athletes to Korea, while Bulgaria, Algeria, and four other countries are
also scouting out sites.
Publicly, s****ts officials say they are just eager to take advantage of
world-class facilities available in countries neighboring China,
especially with the convenient air links to Beijing from Japan and
Korea. But privately, some say they aren't taking any chances on China
until the last minute.
Worried About Food and Pollution
Japanese officials say visiting delegations have voiced concerns about
the potential health risks athletes face while training in China. "They
won't say it out loud, but officials from those countries told us they
were worried about the food and pollution in Beijing," says Tetsuyuki
Imataki, an official in Kagawa prefecture, in southern Japan, which will
host athletes from Finland and Denmark.
Germany's track and field team will have two cities -- ****betsu and
A****betsu -- on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido for its base. German
officials "clearly told us from the outset" they would keep athletes
outside China until the events begin, says Masataka Muro, a spokesman
for the city of ****betsu.
Since winning hosting duties for the Olympics, China has led a
high-profile fight against pollution. Last August, for instance, Beijing
removed one-third of its cars from the roads, but the measure failed to
improve air quality markedly. A World Bank re****t released last year
said China's rapid growth has led to more cars on the road, rising
output at factories, and increasing demands on coal-fired power plants,
which supply about 80% of the country's electricity. From 2000 to 2005,
China failed to meet 10 of 13 targets for reducing pollution, and air
pollution indicators have "remained constant or, in some instances, have
increased." "China's cities still rank among the most polluted in the
world," the re****t, titled Cost of Pollution in China, said.
A Cure for Jet Lag
Experts say they expect Beijing to go to extreme lengths to clear the
air -- for instance, shutting down factories and banning cars months
before the Games. "They will do everything that is humanly possible, but
there is no guarantee that would be enough," says Christine Loh, chief
executive officer of Civic Exchange, a Hong Kong think tank that does
extensive research on the environment. Despite the challenge, she thinks
Beijing will pull it off in time.
Japan and Korea are also natural training alternatives to China because
of their proximity to Beijing. Shaking off jet lag takes time: Generally
speaking, athletes plan to spend a pre-competition day in Asia for every
one-hour time difference between there and their home country. By basing
themselves in Japan or Korea for the lead-up to the Games, athletes will
be only one hour ahead of Beijing, a mere three-and-a-half-hour flight
away. That's one reason why Britain's swim team chose Osaka. British
athletes are also familiar with Japan's second-largest city, having
stayed there during last year's International Swim Meet. Being in Osaka
"will allow swimmers to train in the morning and fly to Beijing to
compete in the afternoon," says British Olympic team spokesman Dave
Richards.
Having athletes arrive just before the Olympic torch is lit is not
without precedent. One example: Swedish athletes trained at home or in
Cyprus until just before they were scheduled to compete in the 2004
Games in Athens. "We never have training camps in the city where the
Olympics are held," says Swedish Olympic Committee spokesman Bkorn
Folin. Sweden will have 150 athletes in Fukuoka, in southern Japan,
after having considered Busan in southern Korea. [Athletes competing in
canoeing, shooting, archery, equestrian, and sailing events will train
in other places.] In 1968, several teams trained elsewhere in the final
weeks before the Mexico City Summer Olympics because of health concerns.
Dress Rehearsal for 2016?
Eager for the economic boost, many local governments have dangled
enticing perks to attract teams. Kagawa, for instance, went after the
track and field teams of Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark by
offering free trans****tation to and from Kansai International Air****t,
about four hours away, and a 75% discount on the fees to rent stadiums,
gymnasiums, and other training facilities. So far, Finland and Denmark
have said yes. In Korea, officials have offered accommodation packages
at lower prices than in Japan.
For Japan, attracting more athletes also fits in with the country's own
aspirations to host the Games. Tokyo has been investing heavily to beat
Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Rome to host the 2016 Olympic Games.
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/feb2008/gb20080212_300947.htm
Source Citation:"China's Commuter Olympics; Many countries will train
their athletes in Japan and Korea before the Games, due to concerns
about pollution and food quality in Beijing.(GLOBAL)." Business Week
Online (Feb 13, 2008): NA.
CPI.Q (Canadian Periodicals). Gale. TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARIES (CELPLO). 2
Mar. 2008
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