Australian distance running greats Ron Clarke and Rob de Castella have applauded Ethiopian Haile Gebreselassie's decision to put his health before Olympic glory.
World record holder Gebreselassie said yesterday he would not compete in the marathon at the Beijing Olympic Games because of fears pollution, heat and humidity could seriously damage his health.
Gebreselassie, who suffers from asthma, said he would still compete in the shorter 10,000 metres event in the August Games.
"The pollution in China is a threat to my health and it would be difficult for me to run 42 km in my current condition," Gebreselassie said. Clarke, a bronze medallist at the 1964 Olympics, collapsed and almost died after the 10,000m event at the 1968 Games in Mexico City.
He blamed the altitude and air pollution for causing long-term damage to his heart and had to undergo surgery to repair a heart valve 15 years later.
Clarke said Gebreselassie had faced a tough decision and had made the right call.
"I don't blame [Gebreselassie]. If I had my time again, if I knew what I know now about competing Mexico City, there's no way I would have gone there," Clarke said.
"I know it's the Olympics and it's something special, but it's not worth risking your life for."
Organisers have promised air quality will improve as measures including reducing the number of cars in the city and stopping polluting industry take effect.
Gebreselassie called on China to deal with the problem, saying that pollution "would be a hazard to athletes, seriously affecting their performances."
Gebreselassie is regarded as one of the greatest runners of all time, having claimed two Olympic gold medals and four world championship wins in the 10,000m.
In recent year he focused on road racing, breaking the marathon world record in Berlin last year in a time of 2hr 4min 26 sec.
Canberra runner de Castella, who competed in three Olympic marathons, said Gebreselassie had the luxury of having achieved so much in his sport he could put his health first.
"Most athletes will walk over broken glass to make it to the Olympics and they're prepared to sacrifice just about everything," de Castella said.
"But in Gebreselassie's case, he's achieved just about everything and he's looking at other factors as well.
"If he competed and won at the Olympics it'd further entrench him as one of the greatest ever, but if he goes there and runs badly it runs the risk of compromising his credentials.
"He's got a lot to lose and not much to gain."
International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge said last year that events such as the marathon could be rescheduled if measures to improve Beijing's air quality did not have the desired effect.
"During a marathon for more than two hours, riding a bicycle race for five to six hours - that could be a danger hazard and then we would postpone the race," he said at the time. with Reuters