The chairman of the International Olympic Committee's medical commission, Arne Ljungqvist, called the yellowish-gray haze "the mist in the air." A Chinese environmental official said the air quality wasn't dirty, just similar to steam from a bathtub. And IOC President Jacques Rogge dismissed concerns, saying that "the magic of the Games" would solve everything.

The Chinese government is used to saying black is white, dirty is clean, and having people buy it. But that's not going to work in this case, with thousands of guests descending on the city.