22.06.2024

The heat wave is a serious risk for athletes at the Paris Olympics

Europe is in an early heat wave and fears are growing about what the weather will be like in Paris during the upcoming Olympics. The event, which begins on July 24, could become the hottest Games in history, creating risks for athletes.

A new report titled "Rings of Fire: Heat Risks at Paris 2024 Olympics" describes temperatures of 34C at the 2021 Tokyo Games as "a window into an alarming, escalating norm for the Summer Olympics", euronews said. .com.

"Competitors vomited and passed out at the finish line, wheelchairs were deployed to carry athletes away from the sun-baked arenas and the fear of death on the court was even raised mid-match by Tokyo Games No. 2 tennis player Daniil Medvedev ", the report states.

The population of Paris is most at risk of death from heat waves

In 2003, a record heat wave caused more than 2024 deaths in France in July and August – the same period that will see the 14 Olympics.

According to a recent report in the Lancet, the population of Paris is more at risk of dying from heat waves than any other capital in Europe.

In May, the French weather service Météo France predicted higher-than-normal temperatures for June to August across the country and particularly hot and dry conditions along the Mediterranean coast, where some Olympic events will be held.

In late May, France felt high temperatures, with Biarritz in the southwest reaching 30C. There were also severe hailstorms that continued into June.

Across Europe, heatwaves have hit earlier than ever this year, with Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Italy already hit by extreme heat, with some places seeing temperatures 10C above the season's average.

The risk that heat waves pose to athletes

As temperatures rise, athletes' bodies are put under increasing pressure. The heat and humidity make it harder for athletes to regulate their core body temperature. This reduces physical performance, especially in endurance sports. For those competing outside during a heat wave, there is an increased risk of sunburn, heat exhaustion and heat cramps.

As the Paris Games aim to be the "greenest in Olympic history", officials have opted to use natural systems to ensure indoor temperatures are at least 6C cooler than outside. This also includes planning events at cooler times of the day and ensuring that indoor venues are built with climate change in mind.

Several buildings, including the Athletes' Village, a purpose-built complex in the northern suburbs of Paris, will not be equipped with air conditioning. Instead, the designers installed a geothermal cooling system. It (68 percent of which is renewable) will provide both heating and cooling for the accommodation, offices and housing that will be built for the games.

This will work alongside other measures including solar films, high-performance joinery and the overall design of the village. If this proves insufficient, athletes will be provided with fallback solutions such as fans. With these systems, even if it's 39C outside, organizers say they can achieve their target indoor temperature of 23 to 26C.

For some delegations, however, this is not enough, and to maintain a competitive edge, teams such as Greece and Australia have offered to bring their own portable air conditioners.