Special report:   2008 Olympic Games    

    BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The health of athletes and visitors coming to Beijing will not be at risk despite persistent concerns about the city's air quality, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Tuesday.

    Arne Ljungqvist, chairman of the IOC's Medical Commission, told the 102th IOC session that data of Beijing's air quality is being assessed on an hourly basis around the clock.

    "We used the World Health Organization standards for the evaluation... Those standards are fairly tough to meet, but in many aspects, the Beijing area does," said Ljungqvist.

    "I am sure and confident that the air quality will not pose major problems to the athletes and to visitors coming to Beijing," he added.

    With three days to go before the start of the Beijing Olympics, the organizers are facing intensive criticism from the international media which claimed Beijing's air pollution levels fail to meet the World Health Organization standards.

    Ljungqvist said that the WHO representative in Beijing had expressed, during a private meeting three days ago, his "extreme dissatisfaction" with media's exaggeration of the air pollution problem.

    According to Ljungqvist, of the three WHO standards, the middle one, namely the interim standard which is used for developing countries, is applied to Beijing.

    "The WHO standards have never intended for guiding people who are temporary visitors," said the 77-year-old Swede.

    "The standards are, and should be used, intended by the IOC to be guidelines for the authorities to protect the health of the residents of that area.

    "They are for the permanent residents. Those standards have been established to (guard against) long-term risks," he added.

    Ljungqvist also said that a haze that covered Beijing recently were much due to the hot and humid weather and sometimes were mistaken for pollution.

    "The misty air is not a feature of pollution but a feature of evaporation and humidity," he said.

    Beijing has invested billions of U.S. dollars to improve its environment since it was awarded the 2008 Games, and a number of drastic measures have been implemented to guarantee good air quality during the Aug. 8-24 event, including shutting down construction sites and reducing the operations of polluting industries in and around Beijing.

    The IOC top medical official paid tributes to China for its efforts to combat pollution.

    "They have done a lot. The matter has come under control. It will be to the benefit of local residents," said Ljungqvist.

    "The Beijing Olympics will be a good example of what can be done with the Games in a city."

    Despite the IOC's assurance, members of the U.S. cycling team were seen wearing masks Tuesday afternoon when they arrived at Beijing's capital airport.

    "For the general visitors, I don't see the need for it honestly unless there are very uncomfortable days and you are sensitive to those conditions," Ljungqvist told a press conference.

    Ljungqvist said that air quality data from 27 measurement sites around Beijing since July 27 showed "encouraging" results.

    "Although the first two days suggested some measurement a little above the interim target, they have now gone down and we are steadily below the interim target," he said.