Distance aces fear 'disgusting' Beijing

Bekele and Defar ditch double-gold assault plans over pollution worries

Two Olympic middle-distance champions plan to compete in only one event at the Beijing games next summer because of the 'disgusting' conditions they expect to encounter.

Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele won the men's 10,000 metres at Athens in 2004 and was silver medallist in the 5,000m, but said he would only contest one of those events in Beijing.

Speaking after competing in the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix meeting on Friday, Bekele, the 25-year-old world record holder in the 5,000m and the 10,000m, said: 'This time around, I will only race in one discipline.

'The decision is based mainly on the conditions in Beijing. It's a mixture of [concern about] disgusting weather and air pollution. I know it's going to be very hot. It will be a struggle to compete [in multiple events].'

Bekele, though, didn't specify which distance he would drop in Beijing.

Compatriot Meseret Defar , Athens women's 5,000m champion, said she had also considered a double entry in Beijing but after further consideration of the elements she would encounter had made her decide to limit her ambitions.

'I will stick to the 5,000m,' said Defar, 23, minutes after cruising to an easy win in the 5,000m in Shanghai. 'I will also have to change my exercise regime and routines radically to better prepare for the tough situation we can expect in Beijing.'

After a 10,000m victory in last month's world championships in Osaka, Japan, Bekele fell short of expectations in Shanghai with a second-place finish in the 1,500m behind experienced Kenyan Daniel Komen.

'I will also have to discuss at length with my coaches and physicians how to deal with the pollution issue specifically,' Bekele said.

The possible effects of Beijing's heavy air pollution, coupled with oppressive summer heat, have caused widespread concern in the international sports community. Endurance athletes such as the Ethiopian pair competing outdoors stand to be among the most affected by the conditions.

International Olympics Committee president Jacques Rogge has gone so far as to suggest rescheduling disciplines in this category in the event of the situation proving unbearable.

Experts are divided over how best to prepare competitors for the conditions.

Some call for a longer stay in Beijing ahead of the games to let athletes gradually settle in and become accustomed to the environment, while others favour a minimal-exposure approach, keeping athletes away from the hazards until immediately before competition.

Both Defar and Bekele apparently are proponents of the latter approach.

'I'm not planning to come in early, that's for sure,' said Bekele.

'I will do most of my training in Addis Ababa,' said Defar.