In light of climate change and meteorological forecasts, there is a fear that the Olympic Games held in July and August in Paris could be marked by even more extreme temperatures than in Tokyo. And then the athletes stumbled under the weight of the heat
The Summer Olympic Games, held in 2021 in Tokyo, are valid for the hottest ever. Temperatures went up and down over 34 °C, combined with high humidity, the heat affected the health of the participants: some athletes fainted and vomited when they reached the finish line, competitors were transported from the arena in carts, and the famous Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev even wondered who would be responsible for his death if that happens, he writes Climate 101.
"I am a fighter, I will finish the match, but I can die," he said on that occasion.
Ahead of the start of this year's games, on July 26, there are fears that even more extreme temperatures could prevail in the capital of France than in the past in the Japanese capital.
Eleven Olympians came together with the world's leading climate scientists, Mike Tipton and Joe Corbett from the University of Portsmouth, to expose the dangers to athletes on an increasingly warm planet. The result of their work is a new report titled "Rings of Fire: Heat Risks at the 2024 Paris Olympics."
"We now know that the Paris Games could potentially break Tokyo's record," warned Emma Pocock, the organisation's chief executive. FrontRunners who helped in the creation of the publication.
Global warming is getting bigger and bigger
As of 2021, dependence on fossil fuels has caused even greater global warming and the world, from last June to May of this year, has experienced twelve consecutive warmest months on record. Therefore, there are more and more situations during which extreme heat undermines sports events.
"If the planet continues to warm, the sport as we know and love it is at risk," Pocock said.
Since 1924, when Paris last hosted the Olympics, the city's annual temperature has risen by an average of 1,8 °C. While an average of 23 warm days (25+ °C) and nine "scorching" days (30+ °C) are recorded, more in one year, the report states.
Another consequence of climate change is stronger and more frequent heat waves, of which Paris has experienced fifty since the middle of the last century. The authors remind us that twenty years ago, more precisely in July and August 2003, right at the time of the Olympic Games, a severe heat wave caused over 14 thousand deaths in France.
Every year it gets warmer
In light of climate change, this year is no exception to the trend: The National Weather Service has already forecast that May through July will be warmer than normal across the country.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is clearly aware of the growing problem. In the statement from 2022, they proposed various measures to protect the health of athletes, and they also made a special reference to the heat:
"Unfortunately, the level of environmental heat stress experienced by elite athletes will continue to rise in the coming years due to a combination of the increased prevalence, intensity and duration of heat waves occurring due to climate change and the globalization of sport which is leading to more and more competitions being organized in venues with an extremely hot climate.”
Extreme heat is risky for competitors
Hot and/or humid conditions make it difficult for athletes to regulate their body temperature, which reduces their physical performance, especially in endurance sports. The health risks of high temperatures range from burns and cramps to exhaustion to collapse caused by heat stroke which can be life-threatening.
For the runner from Australia, Rhydian Cowley, this will be the third Olympic Games.
"We already know that extreme heat is a silent killer among the general population," he told the Guardian and added that even with prior preparation, it can be risky for competitors at sporting events.
"So I'm very concerned that the extreme heat at the competition could endanger the lives of the athletes," Cowley concluded.
Although sport is usually not the first association when talking about the negative impact of climate change, we can see from the example of the Olympic Games that it exists and that, accordingly, the rise in temperature leaves a deep mark on various aspects of our everyday life.
Therefore, it is important that, in addition to reducing harmful emissions, we also focus on adapting to the already changed climate.
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