I still have no idea how the IOC picks it's host cities for Olympics and unless they make public how they decide and what paperwork is done we will never know. China's nomination for it baffled me then and even more so now! The pollution in China's major cities and this is not just Beijing is so horrible you can actually taste it! I'm serious you can taste the pollution. People when they go to eat at a resturant will use the first pot of hot tea to wash off the untencils and rinse their plates off from the dust and pollution particles that build up extremely quickly! The smog gets so thick so often people drive with their lights on during the daytime and you can not see the top of buildings... and not super skyscapers I'm talking over 15 stories even sometimes.

The EPA oftens rates china's major cities as having air quality UNFIT... yes UNFIT for human consumption! Yet the IOC said never mind it's ok. Especially during the hottest, dryest time of the year? One of the most prolithtic marathong runners ever has dropped out of the Olympics because of health concerns for his asthma... which has has asthma but can run forever is really an incredible feet. Most foreigner staying those major cities for more then a very short time get very bad colds and infections.

so now to the point....This is causing many athletes to ARRIVE wearing masks specially designed to help with this problem. The same masks I'm sure will be worn during compeition so will this be the olympics were we see no smiling faces of victory? Will the expression of struggle on their face be hidden by a mask? I know the IOC committee tours these cities so what were they thinking? Did they not see the 1,000's of people wearing masks, did they wear them, did they get sick during their time there? China has closed something like 200 factories in the area. Meaning 1,000's of people are out of work right now just sitting around.

PLEASE spare the stuff about tibet and falung I'm not even talking about anything else except ability of athlete's to compete. The other stuff are for journals and forums of another day

Quote :: The somg gets so thick so often people drive with their lights on during the daytime and you can not see the top of buildings... and not super skyscaper I'm talking over 15 stories even sometimes.

If the smog is as thick as you the IOC should be hung !!

it is horrible there. one of my neighbors just came back and told me at times she could not see across the street to the other side the smog was so thick.

sounds like this will be a crappy olympics

invade tibet they have WMD and lots of oil

One simple question Paul......... have you EVER been to China?

YES beej I have so go f yourself. This is from personal experience

I would imagine China was picked because they made a good bid to the Olympic committee, they promised to clean up the air and other issues before the games, and of course, politics.

It doesn't hurt that you have 1.3 billion people in your country, either.