US Olympic Cyclist Michael Friedman arrived in Beijing wearing a face mask.
When four American cyclists (Michael Friedman, Sarah Hammer, Bobby Lea and Jennie Reed) arrived in Beijing this week, they got off their planes with respiratory masks on for concern of the air quality in the city. The air quality in Beijing has been improving due to the government’s strict new anti-pollution measures that were introduced on July 20, a last-minute attempt by the Chinese government to have clear, blue skies for the Olympic games.
Today, those same four American cyclists are apologizing to the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee for wearing those masks. Bobby Lea went on to say the following:
We didn’t realize the impact that wearing the masks would have… From our standpoint it was to take care of a perceived health risk. In reality it came across as offensive. We don’t want to insult BOCOG or the Chinese public.
In my honest opinion apologizing to the Chinese for trying to keep healthy in a country where smog is ten times worse than the US is ridiculous. Those athletes can do whatever they want to try and keep their bodies healthy so that they can perform well in the Olympic games. Anyone else with me? 
