Apparently, There Is Such a Thing as Too High
Travelers to high altitude areas of South America are always being warned to take care of their health when they get up high, and are always whining for months about their ill-health when they come back. And the risks at altitude are nothing to be ignored--you might remember the guy who didn't make it back from Tibet on the new railroad, a victim of altitude sickness.
So let's say you're up in the mountains of Bolivia, or more specifically in the town of Potosi, over 13,000 feet above sea level. Should you be prepared to play a game of soccer? The answer's a very strong no, according to Brazilian team Flamengo who reckon that "allowing teams to play at high altitude was a form of doping."
Of course, it wouldn't be anything to do with the fact that they didn't win the game (to their credit, perhaps, they did manage a draw). Flamengo is refusing to play again under such circumstances. Perhaps they just wanted to head home fast for Carnival.
[Photo: nutak]
Related Stories:
· No More High Altitude Matches [Guardian]
· Death on the Rails [Jaunted]
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