Arne Ljungqvist, chairman of the IOC's Medical Commission, said that an analysis by four independent experts of data supplied by Beijing organisers found heat and humidity might be a greater threat to athletes than the city's noxious air.

 

That appears to be in line with UK Sport's own independent research.

 

Peter Keen, UK Sport's performance consultant, said that they were spending more time researching methods to help athletes cope with the heat and humidity than on coming up with devices to help their breathing

 

He said: "We think that that will be more of a factor."

 

But John Steele, the chief executive of UK Sport, refused to elaborate on what these were, describing them as "top secret".

 

IOC President Jacques Rogge has repeatedly said that outdoor endurance events would be postponed if the air quality is poor, which would be a huge embarrassment for organisers hoping to feature a clean, modern city.

 

Ljungqvist said: "I believe the conditions will be good for athletes although they will not necessarily be ideal.

 

"There may be some risks.

 

"They would be associated with prolonged high risk respiratory functions.

 

"(Athletes) may breathe a lot of air that may be polluted.

 

"We may not see world records in unfavorable conditions."

 

 

 

Marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie, who suffers from exercise-related asthma, said last week he would not run the 26.2 mile event because he feared Beijing's air pollution was a threat to his health.

 

Ljungqvist said athletes, like Britain's women's world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe, suffering from asthma could be more affected than other competitors.

 

He said: "People with asthma may suffer more than others.

 

"Gebrselassie's decision is a private one but I would not say his example should be the golden standard for others.

 

"Our experience and data do not support that this will become a problem for the vast majority of athletes participating in Beijing."

 

Colin Moynihan, the chairman of the British Olympic Association, said last week that British athletes would not be allowed to wear face masks while competing in Beijing.

 

But Keen said that UK Sport had not even developed such a device and instead had been concentrating on a small piece of equipment to help athletes breath that could "in theory be used in competition", depending on the rules and regulations of that particular sport.