Smog Lingers as Olympic Opening Ceremony Begins

Cars drive through Beijing's heavy smog on the first day of restrictions on car use, July 21.

Photo: AP Photo / Greg Baker

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The Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony set to begin at 8 a.m. (ET), the weather forecast had not changed, and smog was likely to remain a part of the Olympics story in China.

Thursday, particulates and haze lingered, as temperatures remained above 90-degrees under cloudy skies.

According to China's Meteorological Administration, the forecast for Friday is not much different, just a few degrees cooler.

For athletes, that means concerns will linger that pollution resulting from China's economic boom (and it's pollution policies) could hinder their top performances.

China took extraordinary steps to limit pollution, shuttering factories and limiting the rights of citizens to drive freely through Beijing. With the opening ceremony beginning, the eyes of the world will be focused on Beijing. Besides the spectacle, the architecture and the athletics, they will be looking to the skies.

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