They’re sure to break a sweat!
Several countries’ delegations are heated over the decision to cut air conditioning to athletes’ lodging for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Summer Games — which are being touted as the “greenest” ever — aim to cut emissions by more than half compared to previous years, in part by not providing air conditioning in athletes’ rooms, Euronews reported.
Instead, a “natural geothermal cooling system” will be used in the athletes’ village, where 10,500 Olympians and 4,400 Paralympians will stay.
Naturally cool water from underground will be used to cool the apartments, said Yann Krysinski, who is overseeing the buildings and infrastructure for the Games. “So you will not need air conditioning in the summer here,” he said.
But another deathly hot summer is looming for the City of Light.
Last year, more than 5,000 people died in France as a result of searing summer temperatures, health officials announced in February. A recent study warned that more weeks-long heatwaves could hit the capital during the 2024 Olympics, and that the city may break all-time temperature records. The current record sits at 108 degrees.
Some teams are taking matters into their own hands.
“We appreciate the concept of not having air conditioning due to the carbon footprint [but] this is a high-performance Games,” said Australian Olympic Committee CEO Matt Carroll. “We’re not going for a picnic.”
The team has said it will spend more than $150,000 on air conditioning and fans for its athletes and even hire a “heat specialist” for the July Games.
Greece’s Olympic delegation will also bring its own portable air conditioners to the competition, Euronews reported.
“We will buy or find [ACs] from our sponsors,” Hellenic Olympic Committee President Spyros Capralos told the Greek newspaper Kathimerini.
“We want our athletes to compete in the best conditions,” Capralos said. “We spare no expense when it comes to our athletes.”
The Olympic Federation of Ireland is also reportedly planning to pay for its athletes to have AC.
Paris organizers say rental equipment including portable cooling units will be available but stand by the eco-conscious decision, saying they are “confident that the athletes and their staff will be comfortable in the village without needing A/C.”
The athletes’ village was unveiled by President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, one day ahead of schedule.
