Bec asked:
Athletes competing in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City arrived in the city some weeks before the games begun. They wanted to ‘acclimatize’.
What is so different about Mexico City that required this special preparation? What would be the problems experienced by foreign athletes competing in the Games?How were these problems of the athletes overcome?
Taylor
Athletes competing in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City arrived in the city some weeks before the games begun. They wanted to ‘acclimatize’.
What is so different about Mexico City that required this special preparation? What would be the problems experienced by foreign athletes competing in the Games?How were these problems of the athletes overcome?
Taylor
Altitude. The athletes (or anyone) have to acclimate to the difference in air pressure. Mexico City is 7,400 feet above sea level. Similar to problems in playing sports in Denver (The Mile High City).
Comment by Cranky Yankee — December 28, 2007 @ 2:57 am
elevation, can’t drink the water, hot equatorial climate.
Comment by Dude — December 29, 2007 @ 2:13 pm
Don’t forget about the pollution too. which is gonna be a big thing in Beijing
Comment by moglie — January 2, 2008 @ 1:28 am
The altitude is the main problem in Mexico City or also another cities with high altitude such as La Paz, Bolivia.
The air has less oxygen than the usual, so it is harder to the athletes to obtain the same quantities of oxygen as usual. Body needs time to acclimatize and get used to this condition. Sometimes, the athletes train in lands with this conditions for getting more stamina & resistance and in the opposite, they train in the beaches for getting more speed.
Comment by chuck birbën — January 3, 2008 @ 1:52 pm