Although it didn’t think it really needed them, the Japan Olympic Committee has accepted an offer by a gas mask maker for 100 masks free of charge. But there won’t be enough masks for all 200 member of Japan’s Olympic contingent.
Tadahiko Fukushima, a Japanese Olympic Committee executive official, said the committee accepted the gift more out of gratitude to the maker and to reassure the athletes than out of any real terrorism fears. He said, “the masks are for easing the athletes’ minds and because of the maker’s good will”, adding that the manufacturer pitched the masks as a new compact version that wouldn’t take up a lot of luggage space.
Fukushima said the Japan Olympic Committee’s kit of anthrax antibiotics will only be a little bit larger at the Salt Lake City Games than at past Winter Olympics.
