Olympic chief Jacques Rogge has voiced concerns that air pollution could lead to some events at the 2008 Olympics being postponed.

Speaking a year to the day before the start of the Games in Beijing, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said: "Sports with short duration's would not be a problem, but endurance sports like cycling are examples of competitions that might be postponed or delayed."

Cycling is a sport Bermuda would hope to have representation in the form of pro-cyclist Tyler Butterfield.

Bermuda's number one, who cycles for Slipstream Sports, finished 33rd at the Pan-Am Games in Rio, Brazil, last month less than a second behind the winner.

Billions have been spent in an attempt to reduce pollution in Beijing without success.

A host of factories have been shut down, while many others have been moved out of town, but non-stop construction and booming car sales have made air quality even worse.

Beijing's filthy air and clogged traffic are known to have worried Beijing organizers and the IOC for some time.

However, postponing events might not be an option because race schedules have already been decided, according to Wang Junyan, the director of cycling events for the games.

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates has already revealed that the country's athletes won't arrive in Beijing until just before the Games begin next August to avoid possible respiratory problems.

Otherwise, the IOC said the Chinese have laid "strong foundations" for the Games during Rogge's visit to mark one year until the event kicks off.

Sixty-three official events are taking place across China to mark the beginning of the countdown to 8 August 2008.

Organisers say all the competition venues, with the exception of the main National Stadium, will be completed by the end of this year.

"The coming 12 months will be very busy," Rogge said, adding: "I am pleased to see that strong foundations are in place - the venues will be outstanding.

"I can already begin to imagine the exhilarating atmosphere the crowds will create as the athletes parade into the arena (the National Stadium) on 8 August."

The centrepiece of the festivities planned to mark the August 8 milestone will be a huge party in Tiananmen Square.

Chinese leaders and IOC officials will join a crowd of 10,000 in a televised event to invite more than 200 national Olympic committees to participate in next year's Games.

Bermuda's show jumping team is currently waiting for confirmation on whether they have secured one spot for the Island at Beijing, following Patrick Nisbett's 17th finish at Pan-Am.

Teenage triathlete Flora Duffy and long jumper Arantxa King, who both delivered promising performances in Rio, will also harbour hopes of booking their places in Beijing.