The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Kuala Lumpur

Australia's world record- breaking swim team are going to extraordinary lengths to ensure they are not affected by Beijing's chronic pollution, team officials said today.

Many of the squad suffer from respiratory ailments, mainly asthma, but head coach Alan Thompson said they were fully prepared for whatever greets them in the Chinese capital. "We're seeing the pictures like you are and we're taking all the precautions that we can to assist us," Thompson said here where the team are acclimatising.

A haze of pollution has cut visibility across Beijing to a few hundred metres in recent days, jeopardising China's promise of a "Green Games".

Last week Beijing ordered more than a million of the city's 3.3 million cars from the roads and closed dozens of polluting factories. Authorities in the capital today said the situation was easing, with strong winds helping to clear the air overnight. Thompson said his team was fortunate because most of their activities were indoors, but nevertheless no stone has been left unturned.

"Training is indoors and so is eating and sleeping, so we will probably be one of the lucky ones if there is an issue," he said.

"But we've heeded a lot of advice. All of our guys have participated in the Olympic committee's vaccination programme. We've taken precautions on flights by using the humidifiers, we're using saline eye-drops and saline nasal sprays to maintain clear passages. All the guys have been issued with a prevention pack and anyone who has any pre-dispositions like respiratory issues have been tested and appropriate medication issued."

Reports in Australia on Tuesday said Australian Olympic officials have told athletes they can withdraw from events in Beijing with no repercussions if they are concerned about pollution levels.

Australian Olympic team chief John Coates, who arrived in Beijing on Monday, was quoted by Australian media as saying that there has been no improvement in Beijing's air quality from when he was last there five months ago.