India and Pakistan continue to suffer record heat of 50 degrees Celsius/122 degrees Fahrenheit, Mexico’s fatal heat dome is heading toward the United States, and now even Finland, whose north sits above the Arctic Circle, is experiencing an official heatwave and wildfires. .
French meteorologist Météo France has already predicted warmer than general conditions during the months of May to July in the country. How will the 10,500 athletes and 300,000 spectators who will arrive in Paris next July for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games be accompanied in hot weather?How do athletes prepare for this possibility?
This will be the third Olympics for race walker Rhydian Cowley, who qualified for the Australian team for the 20km walk. Amid global heat waves and predictions of a warmer-than-general summer, Cowley told me that he and his fellow Australian marchers are “preparing” For example, he’s halfway through an educational block that includes “heat acclimatization sessions in a heat chamber several times a week. “
When they arrive in St. Moritz in June for an altitude block, his team plans to incorporate “passive thermal intervention after training” and then acclimate more to the warm weather during the final warm-up camp before the Olympics. They also practice “in-competition interventions,” such as pre-cooling, hyperhydration, and race cooling and refueling protocols, “to maximize our preparedness for excessive heat. “
“Knowing that climate change has made heatwaves more likely and more extreme and will continue to do so, Australian walkers know that we want to bring this holistic strategy to running in the heat, with input from dietitians and functionality scientists, to maximise our chances of taking action. When championships are held in the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, where the threat of competing during a heat wave is at its peak, it’s an integral component of our preparation and is now deeply ingrained in the culture – it’s nothing. We can recover, from a general point of view. functionality or from the point of view of protection.
The International Olympic Committee is in a position to deal with the hot weather, with “an IOC consensus on recommendations and regulations for sporting events in hot climates. “
The physical condition and protection of athletes at sporting events in the heat is a priority. The IOC advises athletes to prepare for the expected environmental conditions, as acclimatisation to the heat is vital for Paris. Athletes manage their physical standing before the occasion and plan their hydration, cool-down, warm-up and attire based on hazards related to the expected environmental conditions.
The local organizer should monitor and analyze environmental conditions prior to the event, provide sufficient ice and hydration, and provide sufficient services to mitigate thermal stress, such as shade and recovery areas.
Medical providers providing at the Games receive express education on exertional heatstroke control, adding popularity and early diagnosis, as well as the use of immediate full-body cooling on site, with the principle of “first cool, then ship” being recommended. International Federations are encouraged to expand their own explicit environmental warmth policies with a transparent communication channel on the threat point and related countermeasures.
This isn’t the first time Olympics organizers have had to deal with heat-related impacts. At the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, temperatures reached 34 degrees Celsius/93 degrees Fahrenheit in the Japanese capital, with humidity of about 70%. events that were scheduled to take place during parts of the day until the hours before or after, moved positions to seek colder weather and provided misting stations for greater cooling. The BBC reported last year that “there is a contingency plan in place to adjust schedules, however, a spokesperson for Paris 2024 said there are no plans to reposition the location of any event. “
High temperatures can also affect spectators, as can volunteers and staff. The organisers of Paris 2024 recognise this option for spectators in the general terms and conditions of ticket sales. Ticket holders must acknowledge and agree that participation would possibly “involve certain inherent dangers, dangers, or dangers, including, but not limited to, dangers of transmission of COVID-19 or any of its existing or long-term variants or other infectious diseases, as well as exposure to high temperatures. “climate”.
If you’re attending the Paris 2024 Olympics or any other sporting occasion this summer and need to protect yourself from the sun and heat, don’t forget to apply a top SPF sunscreen, wear a hat, seek shade, cover yourself with an awning, and wear loose-fitting clothing made from plant fibers. Drinking plenty of fluids is a must to stay hydrated, and spectators will be able to access all Paris 2024 venues with their own reusable bottles, except for glass bottles or larger than 75cl in format, a notable exception. French regulations in force. Participants will have free access to the Games’ water sources.
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