A report warns of the dangers of the heat at the Olympic Games

A new report by scientists, climatologists and athletes warns against the dangers that extreme heat can cause during the Olympic Games in Paris.

“The fact that the Olympics will be held in the middle of summer means that the threat of a devastating heat wave is very real,” the report warned. Rings of fire II (Rings of Fire II), published by the NGO Climate Centralthe British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS) and the movement Front Runners.

The Paris Olympic Games were held between July 26 and August 11, dates where the city has been hit by strong heat waves in recent years. Last summer, without further ado, more than 5,000 people died in France due to the heat, the report revealed.

These episodes of extreme temperatures not only affect the general population, but also exist negative consequences on the performance of athletes.

“Heat and humidity make it difficult to dissipate heat and regulate core temperature. This complicates physical performance, especially when exposure is prolonged and high rates of sustained work are required,” the report said. .

The risks involved in competing in conditions of heat and high humidity include “from sunburn and cramps, to heat exhaustion or even collapse from heat stroke,” the text says.

Because of this, the organizers of major competitions that take place in the summer, such as the Olympic Games or the Football World Cup, are invited to rethink their calendar.

The report also encourages organizing committees to improve the rehydration and cooling plans of athletes and assistants to reduce the risk of heat stroke.

Paris 2024 organizers say they have included some flexibility in their program to move some events such as the marathon and triathlon to avoid midday heat peaks.

However, the Olympic Village has already been built no air conditioning to reduce your carbon footprint.

“Heat-related sleep disruption has been cited in the build-up to the 2024 Games as a major concern for athletes, particularly given the lack of air conditioning in the Olympic Village,” the report said.

The Olympic teams were offered the option of installation portable air conditioning units in their residence, which was received by many.

The Indian triathlete Pragnya Mohanmentioned in the report, said he left his home country to escape the high temperatures.

“With climate change, the heat has increased significantly,” Mohan told reporters. “I couldn’t train in my country, it’s one of the reasons I settled in the UK.”

During the Tokyo Games, considered the hottest in history, temperatures regularly exceed 30º with a humidity of 80%. Organizers moved the walking and marathon events to the city of Sapporo, 800 km north of the capital, in the hope of finding cooler weather.

Despite the measures, many athletes suffered due to the weather. In the women’s marathon there were 15 abandonments, in the men’s 30.

“As global temperatures continue to rise, climate change must be increasingly seen as an existential threat to sport,” he wrote in the report’s foreword. Sebastian Coepresident of World Athletics, and concluded: “We are in a race against time. And it is a race we cannot afford to lose.”