Paris Olympics allows air conditioning amid 40°C heatwave... "The hottest Olympics ever"

Allow Air Conditioners at Own Expense

The Paris Olympic Organizing Committee, which had pledged to hold the Olympics without air conditioning aiming for an eco-friendly event, has bowed to record-breaking heatwaves.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Recently, the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee announced that countries are allowed to order portable air conditioners at their own expense, with 2,500 units ordered just this week.

Paris Olympic Village [Image source=Yonhap News]

The 2024 Paris Olympics, scheduled to open on the 26th, has promoted itself as an environmentally friendly Olympics minimizing its carbon footprint. Photos previously released show that the athletes' village accommodations will have only one fan without any air conditioning. The cardboard beds first introduced at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are also visible.

In response, major foreign media cited the report "Rings of Fire," which warned of the heatwave risks at the Paris Olympics, stating that the Games will be held amid the worst heatwave in history, and warned that athletes could collapse from heat exhaustion or, in the worst cases, even die.

The report evaluated the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, where temperatures exceeded 34 degrees Celsius and humidity approached 70%, as the "hottest Olympics in history" so far, and predicted that this year's Paris Olympics will surpass it. At the Tokyo Olympics four years ago, one out of every 100 athletes suffered from heat-related illnesses. The report pointed out that to avoid heatwaves at the Paris Olympics, schedule adjustments and hydration and cooling systems for athletes must be implemented.

In fact, the summer weather in Paris is hot enough to affect athletes' health and performance. According to a report by CBS in the U.S., compared to the 1924 Paris Olympics, the average temperature in Paris during the Olympic period has risen by 3.1 degrees Celsius. In recent years, temperatures in Paris at the end of July have hovered around 40 degrees Celsius. Over 5,000 people died from heat in France last summer alone.

In response to ongoing criticism, the organizing committee has reached a compromise allowing each team to order portable air conditioning devices at their own expense. Among the top 20 countries by team size, eight countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Germany, Greece, Denmark, and Australia plan to use portable air conditioners. The Korea Sports Council has prepared cooling jackets and cooling sheets using eco-friendly special refrigerants for its national team.