US Olympians take a matter-of-fact approach about pollution fears at the Beijing Olympics, basically seeing any possible breathing problems as an equal headache for everyone involved.

"As long as all eight lanes have to breathe it, that's OK with me," said US sprinter Lauryn Williams. "One month in it is not going to kill us at all. Whoever gets to the finish line first will be the winner."

Air quality concerns have prompted some distance runners to avoid longer events and the International Olympic Committee has warned that some events might be moved if pollution issues dictate.

Organizers have countered by saying factories will shut down to ease the smog load in the air around Beijing and that some of the auto traffic in the city will be curtailed for the duration of the Olympics.

"Two teams have the same air to breathe," said US women's soccer coach Pia Sundhage of Sweden. "It is a problem. It might be a hard thing for the second or third game. We have to deal with it."

Three-time BMX world champion Kyle Bennett has felt the impact of Beijing pollution during competition but has confidence in plans to combat air woes.

"It affected me a little bit. Toward the end of the week I could feel it. It was hurting me to take a deep breath," Bennett said. "But they say they will shut down the factories before the Olympics so it will be all right."

US women's soccer captain Kate Markgraf will make her seventh China trip for the Olympics and has so far not felt breathing troubles, although she has yet to experience Beijing.

"Never have I felt my performance or our team's performance has been influenced by pollution," she said. "We're going to take care of the things we can control."

Some masks and oxygen might be used to bring some measure of control and asthma tests before the Games might uncover some problems before people arrive in Beijing.

"I'm going to breathe the same air everybody else is. We're all going to breathe the same," US modern pentathlete Eli Bremer said.

"People who go in with the attitude, 'Oh I've got to breathe pollution,' that is detrimental. I can find a lot of things wrong but I'm going to be the best at coping."

That's the plan for world 200-meter champion Allyson Felix and Muna Lee, who attempts to Beijing double in the 100 and 200.

"I'm not that concerned. I'm going to tough out anything that's out there and come through," Felix said.

"With our maturity and experience, that situation won't bother us. We will go into it very focused," Lee said.

US decathlete Brian Clay figures whatever Beijing has to throw at him will not be as bad as what he has trained through in California.

"There's always going to be concern about weather and conditions. I've had to deal with some of the worst conditions out there," Clay said.

"I live and train in Azuza, which has some of the worst air quality anywhere. You work and prepare for it but you don't dwell on it. If you dwell on it, it can have a detrimental affect on your preparation and training."

US softball pitcher Jennie Finch has played in Beijing in August with no ill effects.

"We were over there playing at the same time as the Olympics and we didn't have any problem with it," she said. "Coach says control the controlables. This isn't one of the controlables."

AFP.

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