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Focus in Beijing now on pollution
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by Tyler Mason
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
In just a few days, the world’s best athletes will compete on the world’s biggest stage at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Included in that mix are a handful of former Wisconsin Badgers. Runner Matt Tegenkamp, women’s soccer player Amy Vermeulen and rowers Beau Hoopman and Micah Boyd will all represent their countries in pursuit of gold medals and Olympic glory.
Vermeulen hails from Canada while Tegenkamp, Hoopman and Boyd will don the red, white and blue of the United States.
Sadly, as media coverage of the Olympics has built up over recent months, it appears most of the attention paid to this year’s games won’t be on the competition at all.
Instead, much has been documented about the struggles of the Chinese nation in its preparation to play host to the biggest sporting event of the year. With a population of over one billion people, China is one of the largest countries in the world. And as of late, it has seen a huge boom economically.
When you add that many people with rapid expansion and construction rates, you have a problem. That problem is pollution.
One of the key concerns surrounding the Beijing games — which begin Aug. 8 — is the city’s high pollution rate. (Yes, there is also the issue of protests, but they shouldn’t directly affect the competition.) The Chinese government has taken steps to curtail the pollution situation, such as limiting the number of cars on the road and moving some of its factories beyond the city limits. In a trip to Beijing and Shanghai last summer, I definitely saw this problem. The entire week I was in Shanghai, I saw blue skies exactly zero times. Citizens wear masks when going outdoors to protect themselves from potentially dangerous air.
The bottom line is that the air quality is still not up to par, and that could ultimately affect the games.
Athletes who have already been to China for training have noticed a difference and have struggled to breathe at times. For a long-distance runner like Tegenkamp — who will be running the 5,000-meter event — oxygen and breathing are vital to his performance. So if he’s going to be breathing polluted air, what will this mean for his ability to compete?
It’s really too bad this has become an issue, both for China and for all the participants set to take part in this summer’s games. In an ideal world, such things would not be a hindrance to the competition. While I personally did not have difficulties breathing over there, it’s clear these high-level athletes very well may be affected.
For China, these Olympics mean the world to them. Already last summer, the hype and anticipation in Beijing was incredible. You couldn’t turn your head without seeing the Olympic logo or any of the colorful mascots. Everywhere you went, you were reminded of the fact that China was hosting the games — whether it was by seeing a countdown clock, a series of photos from past Olympics or one of many souvenir stands peddling Olympic apparel.
There is a certain sense of pride China feels by playing the role of host. The country made a bid to host the 2000 games but was rejected. This is sort of their second chance, their opportunity to show the world they can compete with the big powers, both economically and athletically. It’s clear China has finally arrived on the national stage, which is why all eyes will be on them when the torch is lit at the opening ceremonies in a few days; one eye will be on the competition, while one will remain on the skies.
Tyler is a senior majoring in journalism. If you’d like to write for the Badger Herald Sports section or want to share your thoughts on this year’s Olympics, you can e-mail him at tmason@badgerherald.com.
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