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Posted on 07/21/2008 5:50:29 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Olympic Athletes Wearing Masks Could Cause China to Lose Face
U.S. Committee Developed a Model in Secret; Jarrod Shoemaker Ponders the Geek Factor
By CHRISTOPHER RHOADS and STEPHANIE KANG
July 21, 2008; Page A1
U.S. triathlete Jarrod Shoemaker has a decision to make at the opening ceremony of the Olympics next month in Beijing: Should he strap on a mask?
Chinese officials insist the notorious Beijing air will be cleaner by August, making such contraptions unnecessary. Concerned about the pollution, the U.S. Olympic Committee is distributing a high-tech mask, developed in secrecy, to its more than 600 Olympians. If athletes deploy it, they risk insulting the hosts. Then there's the geek factor.
"I probably will want to wear it," says the 26-year-old Mr. Shoemaker, who plans to have his mask on nearly all the time he's in Beijing when not competing. "Whether I will be allowed to is a different issue."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Ping!
I’ve been in Beijing in the last few months and the pollution is mind boggling. It will be better for the Olympics because they will have shut down factories and taken cars of the streets but on a normal day buildings a few hundred feet away just vanish into the thick haze. It makes LA seem pristine.
People in China and Korea wear those surgical masks all the time, especially in winter when people catch all sorts of colds, flus, TB, etc.
Not if they remember where they put it.
Face is an important matter for Asians. In the last few days I have pondered if China would find it desirable to push some issue between it and the United States while it had center stage, just to make it look powerful vs the U.S.
This will be an interesting next six weeks.
Yeah, take our word for it, we are clean clean clean!
I remember some days from back in the early 70s, when things were pretty bad here in the Los Angeles region. I don’t remember seeing it that bad, but I have seen it where there was a thick haze between buildings about 100 feet away from each other in the La Canada area back then. And I’m sure it was worse in other places.
China has a problem on it’s hands, all this growth and very few regulations (at least it seems that way from here). Perhaps it has more regulations than I am aware of.
I sometimes see Chinese people wearing them in cities on the West Coast as well. It seems pretty silly to me. Not Ministry of Silly Walks silly, but silly.
Well, they wear them out of politeness. When you have a cold, flu, etc. you don’t want to pass it along to others.
I don’t believe in Korea and China.
They still exist (and make better movies than Hollywood) whether you "believe" in them or not. LOL!
Poor folks, they’ve never heard that misery loves company ;-)
I was just there, (Korea).
It exists.
I will swear to it if needed.
China is a polluted cesspool. They don’t want to show that but truth hurts! I don’t give a damn if the Chinese might loose face because the athletes health comes first!
We spent a couple months in China (Guangzhou)...I’ve never seen anything like the pollution. No wonder everybody spits all the time, they probably have chronic lung problems.
My nephew is in Bejiing now on a summer college study program. He’s had to go to the hospital in order to get medication because he’s developed respiratory problems. I feel sorry for the athletes.
So there is a "country" where one can lose one's face? Next thing you'll tell me that if you go to jail in "China", they'll fine you one liver and two kidneys. You guys are kookoo.
Don't mock me round eye! No smoggie in China, Oklay?
Is she married to KD Lang?
Well, maybe they don’t believe in Inverse scattering transforms ;)
She divorced her and married me.
“...No smoggie in China, Oklay?” Facts do not lie!
WB: Air pollution costs 3.8% of China’s GDP
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-11/19/content_6264621.htm
KD Lang is a WOMAN?
She was.
We pay top dolla for best co2 and sulphur to make super air. Not like weak American air!
Won’t matter. The U.S. is fielding one of the greatest collection of male and female gymnists of all time. That is the only competition the Chinese truely care about and the U.S. is favored to win the gold in both.
Sure the chinese are good in sports like diving and a few others, but for them, everything revolves around their gymnastics program.
China is already in a panic over this.
In the Chinese system, 3 year old girls who show promise are yanked from their homes and put into prison like gymnist academies. Their parents allowed only to send letters and get two weekend visits a year until their careers are over. From the day China got the olympics, they have been grooming this to suposedly be the greatest teams of all time. Instead, America is going to Beijing with the #1 and #2 ranked in the world Shawn Johnson and Nastia Lukin. The rest of them are all freakishly talented too.
The mens team from top to bottom are all killers as well.
When China got the olympics, they instituted something called project fivehundred something, etc... It was the total events at the games. The goal was to end up winning more medals than the US. Russia got involved and started training side by side with the Chinese with this program. Everything the Chicoms and Russia, Inc wants is to not have the U.S. end up on top of the medal count, as it usually does. Russia’s gymnist teams this year are weak so they will be doing what they can to help the Chinese. Can’t wait to see the miserable judging from those bastards.
So not only is US favored to win the most medals this year, but also win the top prize the Chinese so desperately covet, the female and male gymnastic golds.
My only hope is the US doesn’t mess around and keep their gymnists protected from any dirty tricks by the Chicoms and Russians before and during the competition.
Just wait till you see gold around USA gymnists necks. The chicoms will be utterly crushed. I feel sorry for the coaches and athletes. For them to get silver will have them labeled as national discraces. A few will have to leave the country after this is all over or face death.
Dear God, please let our jocks come home alive.
i doubt ping will be wearing one
To tell the truth, I haven’t paid one bit of attention to the training and upcoming Olympics. I won’t be watching one second.
I’m sorry, but for this to be allowed like we allowed Hitler in 1936, it’s a major embarrassment on the rest of the civilized world IMO.
I am happy the U.S. has a good team. Your comments were reasoned and I think they made a lot of sense.
The athletes have a choice, but the horses will have to breathe it whether they want to or not.
I actually never knew that triathalon was an Olympic sport. Is it new this year? Triathalon is about the most hard-core sport possible.
I just glance at your FR profile page. You’re really cute in my opinion. Just thought I’d share.
ROTFLOL!
They lost face with us a long time ago.
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