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Adventures of Link: US Cyclists Channeling Michael Jackson

August 5, 2008 at 5:30 PM | 0 Comments

Olympic cyclists from the United States arrived in Beijing today, some of them sporting face masks to hold back the city's polluted air. Necessary? Maybe--but not very diplomatic!

Cyclist Mike Friedman says he and the other riders weren't trying to make a statement:

This is really a surprise because I didn't think it was going to be such a big deal. Why we wore the masks is simple: pollution. ... They have pollution in Los Angeles, and if the Olympics were in Los Angeles, we would probably wear these masks, too.

An International Olympic Committee official says the cyclists don't need to worry:

I would not carry a mask. I do not see a need for that.

Related Stories:
· US Cyclists Arrive in Beijing Wearing Masks [NYT]
· US Cyclists Provoke Beijing Smog Row [Telegraph]
· US Cyclists Fly into China with Masks [Reuters]
· Beijing Olympics coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Reuters]