xemphimfulls warp the mind.) Acclimatising to high temperatures is now a critical part of training for athletes, says Tipton. “If you get your heat preparation wrong, it’s a risk to life and limb.”
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Mohan is preparing for high temperatures at the Paris Olympics by spending up to an hour in saunas several times a week and turning off the fans while doing her indoor cycling training.
“Being an outdoor sport, whatever conditions you can think of, we have trained in them,” says Pritchard.
Organisers say they are taking a number of precautions to protect athletes from extreme heat. Outdoor endurance events such as the marathon and triathlon will start early, at 8am, when it is cooler, and athletes will have access to water stations and shaded areas at regular intervals, says Lambis Konstantinidis, executive director of planning and coordination at the Paris Olympics. The triathlon will be postponed if the temperature rises above 32.2C (90F), Konstantinidis says.
The AC question
In a bid to halve the carbon footprint of the Paris Olympics compared with previous games, air conditioning units have not been installed in the Olympic Village.
Instead, the village will be cooled by a geothermal system which pumps water from deep below the ground to keep indoor temperatures 6C (10.8F) lower than outside, according to the organising committee. More than 9,000 trees have also been planted in the Olympic and Paralympic villages to provide natural cooling. The “natural freshness” of the River Seine will also help cool the city centre, says Konstantinidis.
Whatever conditions you can think of, we have trained in them – Benjamin Pritchard
Some delegations, including the US, have said that they plan to bring their own air-conditioning units, for athletes’ rooms. “In our conversations with athletes, this was a very high priority and something that the athletes felt was a critical component in their performance capability,” Sarah Hirshland, chief executive of the Olympic and Paralympic Committee leadership committee, said during a press briefing in June.
Analysis included in the Rings of Fire report shows that in the past 100 years there has been a significant increase in the number of “tropical” nights, when temperatures do not drop below 20C (68F). Between 1924 and 1933, only four tropical nights were observed in Paris. In 2014-2023, the city experienced a total of 84 tropical nights – 21 times more.
Mohan says she has “mixed feelings” about the lack of air conditioning in the village. She says she understands organisers’ commitment to sustainability but is worried about the impact heat will have on her health and recovery following the triathlon. “Recovery is very important for athletes,” she says. “I want to be safe. I don’t want to come back injured and I don’t want to not have my best performance on the day.”
The organisers of the games have said that Paralympic delegations will be provided with one free air-conditioning unit for every three athletes for medical reasons, as some athletes experience thermoregulation problems.
