20 Nations' Olympics Teams Will Train In Japan, Not Host Country China - Yomiuri

[hatrack]

China's less-than-sparkling reputation for air pollution and food safety have led Olympic teams from 20 countries to plan to hold their training camps in Japan rather than in China in the weeks leading up to this year's Beijing Games.

Many top-class athletes from around the world are likely to be making their final tune-ups from Hokkaido to Kyushu this summer, despite having to pay more to train here than they would in China. "Training here might cost a little more, but Japan has a proven record as a country where final preparations can be made for a major event because it has held such events as the world athletics championships," an official from one such country said.

Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States are among nations planning to hold training camps in Japan, according to the Japanese Olympic Committee and other sources.

EDIT

"I want to avoid the risk of a long stay in Beijing," said the coach of the Finnish rowing team on a visit to Kagawa Prefecture in November to sound out the possibility of holding a training camp there. The Finnish canoe team also made an approach to the prefecture the following month, leading a prefectural government official to suggest that "competitors in outdoor events have got the jitters about the air quality ."

EDIT

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080114TDY02302.htm

[fenriswolf]

1. hehe

*mental picture of track stars stopping, gasping for breath then pulling out inhalers*

[phantom power]

2. that would be even funnier if it weren't probably going to actually happen.