Brazilian swimmer Cesar Cielo declined to wear a mask to protect himself against pollution at the Beijing Olympics, saying he is already used to it.
Cielo, a medal contender in both the 50- and 100-meter freestyle, said he won't be bothered by pollution because he has to deal with it every day in Sao Paulo, South Americas' biggest city.
"There won't be problems for someone who lives in Sao Paulo, like me," Cielo said. "Beijing is not worse than the city I live in. I'm not worried."
Some of his teammates have decided to wear masks, however, as did his Australian coach, Brett Hawke, who put one on as soon as he arrived in Beijing.
Brazil's rowing team also was expected to take precautions against pollution. The team brought a special device aimed at strengthening the athletes' lung oxygenation. Created by a Brazilian university, the device is similar to the ones used by asthma patients.
"And we will have to walk around with masks if it gets too polluted," Anderson Nocetti, who will be competing in the single skiff event, told Brazil's Terra Web site.
Nocetti added that the Brazilian Olympic Committee will be monitoring the air condition and advising whether athletes should wear masks.
Beijing's polluted air has been one of the biggest concerns before the games, which open Friday. The IOC warned that outdoor endurance events could be postponed if the air quality is poor.
Other Olympic delegations also made protective masks available to their athletes to try to reduce the effects of pollution.
