Former Olympic champion Cathy Freeman, the darling of the Sydney Games in 2000, was in Beijing at the weekend with a few words of advice for Liu Xiang.

I also asked her about pollution and, although she is now long-retired, I think her reply might still reflect the attitude of many of the top athletes coming to Beijing. 

“When you become that focused, you don’t really pay that much attention to elements that you can’t control like weather or pollution,” she said.

“In my career I ran in countries where it was 45 degree (Celsius) heat and incredibly polluted but you deal with what you have to deal with.

“The fact that it is an Olympic Games should help you rise to the occasion. Sure, it’s a concern but it’s an Olympic Games.”

Picture by David Gray

China has appealed to residents to take “green” transport ahead of the Olympics, casting the city’s pledge to provide clean air and unclogged roads as a civic “duty”.      

I used to take green transport to work, cycling a round trip of 14 miles five days a week in the cooler months, and three days a week in the summer.

And then, last week, my bike got nicked from inside the Central Academy of Fine Arts. I have lost count, but this was either the sixth or seventh bike my family has had stolen since arriving in Beijing in 2003.      

China is home to a world-record 470 million bicycles, but theft is widespread. A common topic of discussion among bike owners is the latest loss, despite chains and padlocks, either in the street or in the lobbies of high-rise apartment blocks.      

Selling stolen bicycles is big business in China, prompting buyers to turn to the second-hand market to minimise their loss should their bike be stolen.      

“In this vicious cycle, those who steal bicycles and sell them on the black market benefit while urban residents suffer,” the China Daily said in December.      

My bike was a red Giant and it got me to work in 35 minutes in peak hours, compared to sometimes double that by car. If anyone thinks they’ve seen it, I’d be grateful if you’d give me a call.

Photo by Reinhard Krause