Pollution expected to plague Beijing Olympics. Olympic Teams Vying to Defeat Beijing’s Smog:

To protect the athletes, Mr. Wilber [lead exercise physiologist for the United States Olympic Committee] is encouraging them to train elsewhere and arrive in Beijing at the last possible moment. He is also testing possible Olympians to see if they qualify for an International Olympic Committee exemption to use an asthma inhaler. And, in what may be a controversial recommendation, Mr. Wilber is urging all the athletes to wear specially designed masks over their noses and mouths from the minute they step foot in Beijing until they begin competing.