No Beijing Marathon For Haile Gebrselassie
News March 12th, 2008
Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie has decided not to compete in the Beijing marathon.
World record holder Haile Gebrselassie will aim for an Olympic marathon title at the 2012 London Games after deciding the pollution in Beijing this year represents an unacceptable health threat.
The twice Olympic 10,000 meters champion, who will be 39 in 2012, suffers from exercise-induced asthma and will not compete in Beijing unless he qualifies for the Ethiopian 10,000 team.
“The pollution in China is a threat to my health and it would be difficult for me to run 42 kilometers in my current condition,” he told Reuters by telephone.
I can definitely understand not wanting to expose a world-class athlete to the air on a grey-sky day, but I do hope he’s feeling up to the 10,000 meters, anyway.
Via ESPN
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It’s a real shame that Gabrselassie won’t be running the marathon in Beijing - he’s been running the fastest marathons in history recently. It’s the Olympics’ loss; hopefully the environment won’t cause too many others.
see his face, I can definitely know that the air in beijing is much better than the place he was born and grew up.