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14 hours, 8 minmutes ago
By Vivi Lin BEIJING Aug 18(reuters) - Marathon world record-holder Haile Gebrselassie regrets
pulling out of the
42-km race at the Olympics over fears that Beijing's air pollution would damage his health.
"I'm surprised. What do expect from me? I was here in February, I didn't see no blue sky," the
Ethiopian runner told reuters on Monday in china's capital, where the sun was shinning in a slightly hazy
sky.
"Since I came here everything is perfect. they should tell us," he added with a laugh.
Asked if he was now sorry not to be running in next Sunday's marathon, he chuckled again and said:
""Don't push me. Yes."
Gebrselassie, a 35-year-old whos suffers from asthma, announced in March that would not participate in
the marathon and called on China to deal with Beijing's pollution problem, saying it would be a hazard to
athletes.
International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge said last year that edurance events such as the
marathon or long-distance cycling races could be rescheduled if efforts to clear Beijing's polluted skies
were unsuccessful.
As it turned out, the opening days of the Games were marred by smoggy skies but the weather has cleared
for the second weak.
"It's really good for everybody, good for all....to keep such clean air, that's fantastic,"Gebrselassie said.
Gebrselassie ran in the men's 10,000m in Beijing on Sunday, an event in which he has twice won an
Olympic gold medal. He finished in sixth place, behind fellow Ethiopians Kenenisa Bakele and Sileshi
Sihine, who took gold and silver respectively.
"Getting sixth in 10,000, it was not bad," he said.
"The only problem I had yesterday... was just the last 250 metres, the last 300 metres. I have no more
sprint.My training is mostly for a marathon."
He said he may return to the 10,000 metres and also keen to run in the marathon at London's 2012
Olympics. (Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Ed Osmond)