The considerable publicity that has been given to the high smog levels
in Beijing has caused me to speculate on a world record holder who
would not have been able to compete in the Olympics if they had been
held there in 1968. If I'm wrong in the details, maybe someone will
offer correction.
I'm thinking of Jim Ryun, world record holder in the 1500 meters
(3:33.1) from 1967 to 1974 and notably handicapped in some venues by
chronic asthma. I don't think he was ever called upon to compete under
such severe smog conditions as those shown at Beijing, but I can't
imagine any severe asthmatic even attempting that level of hazard--Los
Angeles would have been bad enough.
Of course, the 1968 Olympics weren't held in Beijing, but in Mexico
City, where high altitude posed another kind of threat to asthmatics
and others with breathing disorders. The consequence for Ryun was
apparent: He trailed Kip Keino by a full twenty meters at the finish,
with Keino's time nearly two full seconds off Ryun's year-old record.
Anyone know whether disadvantages a given venue may pose for some
athletes ever enter into the considerations of the IOC in selecting a
location for the Olympic Games?
