Olympics:Pollution intruded on celebrations to mark the one-year countdown to Beijing's Olympics today when Games chief Jacques Rogge said events might have to be rescheduled if air quality is not up to scratch.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) president
reiterated that overall he was happy with preparations but that
some competitions might have to be moved if continuing efforts by
organisers to clean up the air were unsuccessful.
"This is an option," said Rogge. "It would not be necessary
for all sports ... but definitely the endurance sports like the
cycling race where you have to compete for six hours, these are
examples of competitions that might be postponed or delayed to
another day."
The most intensely scrutinised preparations for any Games in
Olympic history has brought forth a barrage of criticism for
communist-ruled China this week on issues such as human rights,
press freedom, pollution, food safety and Tibet.
Starting with a mass display of early morning exercises, the
Chinese people finally got their chance to express their pride in
the most important sporting and cultural event ever held in the
country.
More than a million Beijingers made their way to the city's
parks as sunshine broke through the smog for the first time this
week.
"We're very excited, very happy to have the Olympic Games in
China," said one women pensioner, wiping make-up from her face
after taking part in a display of traditional folk dancing in
Chaoyang Park.
"Thirty years ago, we would never have thought that we could
host such an event. China was not strong enough to host the
Olympics, but now we are."
Another women, catching her breath after a display of
aerobics, said: "This is a dream that has lasted for a century. We
want foreigners to discover Chinese culture and to know that China
is a strong country now."
Questions about pollution were answered with a shrug and the
assurance that "it's much better than it used to be". Censorship
has ensured that most people are unaware of critical human rights
reports, many of which say China has failed to live up to its
promises on press freedom.
Six Westerners were still detained a day after unfurling a
banner reading "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet" at the Great
Wall, the Free Tibet Campaign said in a statement. China is often
criticised for its harsh rule of the Himalayan region it occupied
in 1950.
The chance of protests means security will be tight at the
main event of the day, a gala celebration in front of 10,000 people
on Tiananmen Square, where troops put down the 1989 pro-democracy
demonstrations with huge loss of life.
Rogge will be on hand with Chinese political leaders to watch
a countdown clock run down to exactly 366 days to go - 2008 is a
leap year - at 8:08pm (12:08 Irish time) on the eighth day of the
eighth month, an auspicious date and time.
The Belgian will also host a ceremony in which more than 200
countries and regions will be formally invited to take part in next
year's Games.
The first of 26 test events being held in Beijing this year
also got under way today with the opening heats of the world junior
rowing championships at a brand new venue an hour outside the city.
