Marathoner Drops Out of Olympics

We're not saying world record marathon holder Haile Gebrselassie is an ardent follower of Vatican edict, but a day after the Catholic church added pollution to its list of new sins the Ethiopian runner announced he won't compete in the 2008 Olympic Marathon. He could just be a smart runner with his lungs, not his eternal salvation, on his mind. Referring to the high levels of air pollution in Beijing, Gebrselassie told Reuters, "The pollution in China is a threat to my health and it would be difficult for me to run 42-km [26 miles] in my current condition." Fortunately for the asthma suffering marathoner, the Catholic church has included "causing environmental blight" among its latest batch of recognized no-no's. By 2012 - when Gebrselassie plans to run for Olympic marathon gold in London - the air might just be a little purer.
--Jason Kerkmans