Masked Olympic Cyclists Arrive in Beijing

Right about now the four United States cyclists who arrived in Beijing Wednesday wearing black masks, must be kicking themselves. Their choice to don the black masks, intended to protect athletes from the extremely high levels of pollution in Beijing, has apparently upset the host country, and in turn the United States Olympic Committee.

Track cyclists Mike Friedman, Sarah Hammer, Bobby Lea and Jennie Reed have since apologized for their actions, saying their choice to wear the masks was in no way meant to be an environmental or political statement, and they did not intend to insult China.

But, in the aftermath of the athlete's seemingly harmless choice to wear protective coverings over their faces, we must ask, why is an apology even necessary?

According to the USOC the masks were issued by the Olympic committee and given out to about 200 of the 596 U.S. athletes. The swimming team also brought theirs with them, although they have yet to wear them. There must be a reason that these masks were handed out in the first place.

Sure, the argument can be made that wearing the masks inside is not necessary. But, the fact that pollution does in fact seep into indoor areas, cannot be denied. The American cyclists learned this lesson better than anyone last year at a test event in Beijing. The city was covered in smog, and a fair amount of it seeped into the velodrome, causing many of the athletes to come down with upper respiratory infections.

Friedman told the New York Times that he stands by his decision to wear the mask. "I'm not sorry for wearing the masks at all," he said. "I'm just very sorry that people thought it was some political statement. It was so, so far from that."

Can you blame these athletes for wanting to keep their airways clear and stay in peak physical condition? They've spent their entire lives training, it would be a shame for them to fall ill days before the Olympics games.

Of course, Beijing has taken lengthy measures to improve the quality of their air, but small changes over a course of a few months cannot reverse the damage that years of industrial pollution and overpopulation has caused the city.

Still, the cyclists are not the only U.S athletes concerned about the effects of pollution on their performance. Many teams are training away from Beijing. The U.S. swim team is in Singapore, the canoe and kayak team in Kmatsu, Japan and most of the track team is in the small Chinese town of Dalian.

Image Source AFP & Reuters