On the Scene in Beijing: Rain May Clear the Air

The squeegees come out at the tennis venue on the Olympic Green. (Getty)Clearing Skies May Follow Rain

A steady rain on Day Two of the Olympics means delays for tennis, but a BOCOG leader says the change in weather means that skies may clear in the coming days.

“I think the blue sky will come, especially after today’s rain. I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” says Wang Wei, BOCOG’s executive vice-president and secretary general.

The Bird’s Nest stadium is shrouded in thick fog with the Olympic flame barely visible from the outskirts of the site as heavy rain dampens the early action on Day Two of the Games.

The tennis competition schedule is delayed, while rain also affects volleyball, hockey and archery competitions.

Spectators braving the rains to see hockey at the Olympic Green and beach volleyball at Chaoyang Park wear ponchos amid the downpours.

Empty Seats

Whether rain is the reason, the stands are largely empty for events at outdoor venues Sunday. But Saturday, a dry (though not clear) day, was much the same.

Wang notes the concerns but insists the crowds will come for an Olympics which is supposed to be a sell-out; seven million tickets were sold for the Games.

“It’s a challenge for us we are now in the process of trying to manage that,” he tells a press briefing Sunday. “It’s a complicated issue and we are trying to remedy that.”

Wang says the low turn-outs may be because sponsors are not taking up their allocations and VIPs are staying away from some of the early preliminary rounds, or turning up for only parts of a day’s competition.

Pollution Not a Factor

Asked about the air quality on day two of the Games, Wang acknowledges the high humidity as a factor for athletes but says the air quality remains in the “satisfactory range” and doesn’t pose any threat for athletes.

Despite growing concerns over the weather, the IOC says there are currently no plans to postpone competitions including endurance events.

“No not at all,” the IOC’s director of communications Giselle Davies told reporters.

“The current readings we are looking at with BOCOG gives us no cause The shooting venue in west Beijing. (Getty)to be concerned today. Our forecasting goes 72 hours ahead. At this stage we have no worries.”

Victim of Knife Attack Improves

The survivor of a knife attack on a U.S. couple closely linked to the U.S. Olympic volleyball team is in a critical but stable condition.

The U.S. Olympic Committee says Barbara Bachman suffered multiple cuts and stab wounds in the attack by a Chinese man Saturday at the Drum Tower, a tourist attraction in the city.

Her husband Todd Bachman, the father of former Olympic volleyballer Elisabeth "Wiz" Bachman and father-in-law of men's volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon, was killed in the attack.

“After undergoing approximately eight hours of surgery yesterday All the tickets are sold to the Beijing Olympics, but empty seats abound on the first days of competition. (Getty)afternoon and evening, she is in critical but stable condition at a Beijing hospital.

“Family members, including her daughter Elisabeth Bachman McCutcheon and son-in-law Hugh McCutcheon, are with her.”

Hugh McCutcheon was not on the bench for the U.S. men's volleyball team's opening game against Venezuela Sunday.

Wang Wei, BOCOG’s executive vice-president and secretary general, tells reporters Sunday that the organizers and city authorities have provided sufficient security measures for the Olympic Games.

He says there is no reason to believe the attack was targeting U.S. citizens: “Apparently it was an isolated criminal act.”

“Beijing is a safe city but unfortunately we are not immune to violent acts,” Wang says.

“With regards to the venues we think we have sufficient security measures. We will make sure people have good access to the venues and at the same time feel safe and secure.”

Beijing by the Numbers

According to figures released by BOCOG, 11,194 athletes are registered to compete at the Beijing Olympics. That figure exceeds the 10,500 athletes specified as the limit for the Summer Games. BOCOG says 23,503 journalists are accredited, a figure that includes broadcasters, photographers, technicians, as well as written press.

Written by

Mark Bisson in Beijing

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