Radcliffe plays down Olympics pollution fears

Paula Radcliffe believes pollution in Beijing will not be as big a problem as heat and humidity during the Olympic marathon.

Women’s marathon world record holder Radcliffe, who suffers from asthma, believes the air quality in the Chinese capital will not be the main concern for athletes.

“It might not even be as bad as everyone thinks because I’m sure the Chinese will do everything they can to reduce the problem,” said Radcliffe.

“I need the right dosages of my asthma medication but after that I don’t think it’s something you can worry about too much,” the 34-year-old told BBC Sport.

“And the effects of pollution are usually felt after a race. Will I really care if I wake up the next morning with a sore throat and feeling a bit sick if I have got what I want the day before? No, probably not.

“We’re all dealing with the same thing so I don’t think worrying about it in advance is that productive.

“But heat and humidity are a different kettle of fish because they are things you can prepare for. I’m concentrating more on those factors than the pollution.”