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Haile to skip Beijing marathon
10/03/2008 16:00 - (SA)
Paris - World record holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia looks set to miss the Beijing Olympics marathon as he fears his health could be endangered by the city's pollution, his agent said on Monday.
"He will probably not the run the marathon in Beijing. It's not 100% sure but it looks like it because of the heat, humidity and the pollution," Jos Hermans said via telephone.
"Indeed it's 99% sure. He doesn't want to put his career in danger and he still wants to run at the 2012 Olympics in London."
"His dream is to run in two hours and three minutes and to be the first to do that. It's more important for him than to win another gold medal."
Hermans said that Gebrselassie still intended to run in the 10 000m in Beijing but would first have to qualify for the Ethiopian team which will be selected after the May 24 meeting in Hengelo.
"I don't know what he will do if he doesn't qualify for the 10 000m," he added.
The International Olympic Committee has already voiced concern over distance events at the Olympics in August and has said that the marathons could be called off if the conditions posed a danger to athletes' health.
- AFP
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