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Athletics Australia is confident it’s acting in the best interests of the nation’s track and field stars by preventing them marching in the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.
With the Beijing track and field program not starting until August 15, a full week after the opening ceremony, AA chose to hold its pre-Games camp in Hong Kong.
Competitors will then fly to Beijing three or four days before their scheduled events.
Were they to have made a separate trip to the Chinese capital for the August 8 opening ceremony it would have cost them three days of training at a crucial time as they would need to have arrived a day earlier to be kitted out.
“And as many sports have said, China presents difficulties for athletes going in and being there for a period of time,” said AA national performance manager Max Binnington.
“Anything more than five or six days and they inevitably end up with some sort of respiratory problem.
“So that was why many of the sports who don’t have to be in there early are choosing not to go in.
“And the outcome is that it’s almost impossible to go for the opening ceremony.”
Australia’s triathletes will also miss the opening ceremony for similar reasons.
“Most of our athletes have accepted the decision straight away,” said Binnington.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) said the decision was about logistics rather than health concerns.
“Most of the athletes have decided to come in later and not march,” said AOC spokesman Mike Tancred.
Individual athletes, their coaches and team managers would decide their attendance at the opening ceremony.
“Generally those competing of the first day or the second day don’t march, standing up for eight hours a day or so before competition isn’t a medically smart thing to do,” said Tancred.