Beijing reported yesterday was the second consecutive day of Grade I, or "excellent", air quality, marking a decade-long high for the number of such days in a summer month in the city.

China Environmental Monitoring Center (CEMC) figures put Beijing's Air Pollution Index (API) at 23 yesterday, the Games' eighth day, and at 17 the day before. Deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Environmental Protection Du Shaozhong said that brought the total of Grade I days in the first half of August since 1998 to seven.

In the other eight days, Beijing's air quality was Grade II, which still fell within the International Olympic Committee's standards for the host city.