Nick Davies, communications director for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), has moved to allay fears that pollution may cause further athletes to withdraw from this year’s Beijing Olympics – a day after world record holder Haile Gebrselassie decided not to run the marathon.

Stung by criticism of their pollution-ridden atmosphere, Beijing’s Olympic officials today promised the air would be clean in time for this summer’s games.

China should see a “turning point” this year in its pollution problems and will likely meet its clean air and water goals in coming years, an environmental official said today.

China’s biggest oil company apologised for an explosion that polluted a north-eastern river with benzene and prompted the government to cut off running water to 3.8 million people, while another blast in the country’s south-west raised fears today of a second toxic spill.

A SLICK of river-borne toxins from a chemical plant explosion flowed into a major Chinese city yesterday as the authorities faced increasing criticism of their handling of the situation.