The Omaha World Herald ran a story today about how Olympic athletes are preparing for the Summer Olympics in Beijing, one of the most polluted cities in the world. Randy Wilber of the U.S. Olympic Committee has designed a mask for training purposes to protect our athletes from the noxious air, and teams around the world are planning to arrive as late as possible to avoid the pollution before the competition begins. Although Beijing officials assure the world that they are doing everything they can to clean things up before August, really – how embarrassing! C’mon, China - no one wants to come to your dirty freakin’ city! You’d think the shame alone would make them clean up their act; but seriously, this is something they should be doing for the health and safety of their own people, not just because they have a world audience. Perhaps air quality should be a factor for even qualifying to host such a prestigious global event… It’s pretty bad when athletes are asking if the best way to prepare for breathing in your atmosphere is to run behind a truck!
