Friday, August 8, 2008

Triathletes Wear Masks in Beijing; Avoid Controversy That Met Cyclists


As the Associated Press reports, American triathletes have said they will wear carbon filter masks whenever they are outside in Beijing. Matt Reed even vowed to wear the mask during the opening ceremony, though not during the march into the Bird's Nest:

"I definitely am conscious (of perceptions) and I don't want to offend anyone," Matt Reed said, "but I'm out for my own health, really. I'm sure they know the air quality is not good, so I don't see it's that bad wearing a mask."


Reed and Hunter Kemper wore masks during a training run around Olympic Village friday and reported having trouble breathing. According to Jarrod Shoemaker, who earned some scorn for wearing a mask in Beijing at the Olympic Qualifying World Cup in October, at which he earned his spot on the Olympic Team:

Triathlete Jarrod Shoemaker, who wore a mask before qualifying for the U.S. team during the Beijing World Cup in September, noted the skies had changed from "more yellow and dark" last year to a whitish color. Shoemaker said the sky "doesn't look as bad, but you can still kind of taste it."

"We take the precautions we need to," triathlon team leader Scott Schnitzspahn said. "We're still far enough out from our competition that a little exposure isn't going to really affect them too much. But we still don't want them running around sucking on a tailpipe."


The triathlon team departed Beijing early Saturday to train in South Korea before returning just a few days ahead of the Olympic competitions on August 17 and 18.

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