Category — Athletics

If Iraq’s Dana Abdul-Razzaq has a fan club out there, please send us an invite so we will join you. We like it when athletes defy “religious leaders”.

Dana is the first Iraqi woman to represent her country in the Olympics; she will compete in the 100m and 200m events in Beijing.

Are people complaining about Beijing’s pollution just a bunch of wimps? Or do they have a valid concern?

Because I live in a polluted city, I initially labeled them as wimpy whiners. So I was like, “Silly people. I eat pollution for breakfast. If you want to live in a pollution free world then let’s all walk/run/bike to work. Besides, how convenient for Westerners to be complaining about Beijing’s pollution when they benefit from it through cheaper goods. Silly, silly, nose up in the air , hypocritical, energy-guzzling people.”

But then I came across this report which states that distance runner Haile Gebrselassie has decided to not compete in the marathon because of Beijing’s pollution. So I went, “Aha. If an athlete would rather forgo a sure gold medal because of health concerns maybe those whiners have a valid point after all. Maybe it’s unfair to label them as “whiners”".

What do you think? Does Beijing need to clean up its air? Or is the pollution problem being unfairly blown out of proportion?