The effects of air pollution on athletes came to the fore during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where Steve Ovett collapsed with reparatory problems after the 800 meters final, citing air pollution as a major trigger for his exercise induced asthma. In 2008, images of smog shrouding Beijing’s birds’s nest stadium were shown around the world and this summer the spotlight will be on London.

Pollutionwatch: Olympic athletes vulnerable to bad air quality | Environment | The Guardian.