Biggest threat to Paula is the smog

I'm sure that when the International Olympic Committee decided to award the Games to Beijing seven years ago, the assumption was that the air quality would be much better than it is.

One of the factors that was foremost in our bid for London 2012 was that the needs of the athletes should be foremost - as a host city we had a duty of care to them. And so it is certainly a big disappointment that the air quality isn't better, because it is the hopes and dreams of athletes that are at stake here.

Even some of the shorter, more explosive events might suffer in track and field if you are in the stadium for a couple of hours on a particularly bad day.

And if you are prone to some sort of respiratory problem, then the concerns are even more pronounced. So spare a thought for Paula Radcliffe - lining up for a marathon is a fearsome task even in the most ideal of conditions.

Not just in terms of the vagaries of sport but how you physically respond to pushing your body into the red zone.

It's like a Formula One car which is right on the performance limit and it only takes the slightest little thing to tip it over the edge and it all goes horribly wrong.

For Paula this is her last chance of winning an Olympic gold medal and it's not anywhere near the ideal scenario for the most important event of her sporting life.

In terms of whose responsibility this is, I think it's hard to point fingers. Clearly the IOC have no jurisdiction over the industrial development of China which is what is causing the problems.

And in the end, the blame game helps no one, but I'd very much support the athletes' rights to take whatever precautions they deem appropriate to make sure the are not unduly affected.

And so however unpalatable face masks might appear, they may just be a necessary evil in Beijing.

Probably the nearest I've come to these sort of conditions was in qualifying for the world championships in Seville in 1999. The sun was still beating down the track in early evening and the temperature was up to 45 degrees.

I remember coming off the track and putting ice packs on my head. I felt physically shaken and the heat definitely played on my mind. Two days later I came third in the final - it was cooler and I certainly couldn't blame the climate for not winning.

The other story to run and run is whether China is the right host for the Games. I can see both sides to this argument, but I think it's the right decision.

I believe by giving the Games to Beijing you will highlight issues and the changes that we all desire to see will become more and not less likely.

And, of course, the values we see displayed on the field of play send their own, very powerful message.

Tomorrow is the opening ceremony of the Games and I have a confession to make. I never went to one. Because the athletics is always in the second week, I probably wasn't even in the host city and watched it on television.

I'm not a great one for all the pomp and ceremony that goes with it and it lasts an awful long time but it is nonetheless a very proud moment when you see Team GB walk into the stadium.

Some of the standout elements of Beijing's ceremony - I've seen a few snippets on TV - made me think this is going to be spectacular. This is just one of the areas where the Chinese will do a fantastic job.

It seems that sometimes we only focus on all that is bad in China and fail to realise what an incredible civilisation it is. Through the way these Games are put on, we will see what an amazing place and people they are.

But my view of ceremonies is far from the norm. I was chatting to Tim Henman and he thought it was fantastic.

It signalled the fact that the Games had begun and it got him in the right mood and the right frame of mind.

A lot of athletes will tell you that it makes them proud and they will make every sacrifice without hindering their performance to be there even if they know they are going to be in the stadium a long time and they are going to be five or six hours away from the village, standing up and not seeing most of it. But for them it is really significant.

For me, I was completely the opposite. I didn't want to hinder my preparations and also because of personal taste - it wouldn't be my idea of entertainment. I had the choice.

But in my work for London 2012 I now recognise the importance of them, they play a role and tie the cultural aspect in and show the creativity of the nation - it's just not to my taste.

However, one thing I am certain would have got me there and that is the honour that's been bestowed on Mark Foster - who will be carrying the British flag in the opening ceremony.

Mark's a fantastic athlete, and quite a character too, and I'm sure he'll set exactly the right tone for what I'm sure will be a memorable Games for Team GB over the coming weeks.

Jonathan Edwards will be writing exclusively for the Evening Standard throughout the Olympics.