A smoggy taste of home

BEIJING -- Terrence Trammell is making the most of the air-filtering mask the U.S. Olympic Committee provided to help counteract potential problems with the gritty Beijing air.

But that's nothing new for the two-time Olympic silver medalist in the high hurdles. He also wears one in spring and summer back home in Atlanta.

"We have smog in Atlanta,'' he said. "It's not as thick as here, but it is at a point where it could be kind of detrimental.''

Trammell brought that mask, thinking it would alleviate the problems as it does in Atlanta,  but was quickly disabused of that notion after trying it.

"It didn't do much,'' he said.  "It was like a painter's mask from Ace Hardware.  When I went to the [USOC]  medical unit here the second day and [showed them the mask], they said, 'No, no, that's for spray painting.' So I said, 'Well, give me one that's for running.' I'm good now.'''

Trammell said he felt no problems the day he arrived but had some the next.

"The air quality is on and off,"'  he said. "I've had a day where it wasn't a problem at all, and then I've had another day where if I didn't have a mask, I wouldn't really be able to breathe.''

Trammell has been wearing a mask while warming up and between runs in his workouts.

"While I am actually running, it's kind of a distraction,''  he said.

He would have no qualms about wearing it publicly, despite the uproar caused when four U.S. cyclists wore masks at the Beijing airport when they arrived.

"Me being healthy is the most vital part of me being here to compete.  If I have to wear a mask to do that, that's what I will do,"  he said.

-- Philip Hersh

Photo: Terrence Trammell, seen here during the Olympic trials last month. Credit: Matthew Stockman /Getty Images