Olympic hopefuls speak out about fears of severe summer heat in Paris

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, athletes are voicing fears of a summer heat wave, saying the effects of climate change could make their sports dangerous.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, athletes are speaking out about their fears of a summer heat wave, saying the effects of climate change could erode the competition and make their sports dangerous.

In a new report, released jointly by several British and American climate advocacy and sporting organizations, 11 athletes voiced concerns about conditions at the coming Olympic Games and the longer-term challenges for sporting competitions in a warming world.

The report says temperatures in Paris in late July and early August — the period the Olympics will be held — are, on average, more than 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit hotter today than in 1924, when Paris last hosted the event.

The Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower on June 12, 2024 in Paris.Kiran Ridley / Getty ImagesJamie Farndale, who has competed with Great Britain’s Olympic rugby sevens team, said that Olympians earn their spots on the world stage by pushing their bodies to the “absolute limit” but that he worries heat in Paris could push some over the edge of what’s tolerable. 

“When things get unsafe in the sort of 30-, 35-degree temperatures, yeah, it becomes pretty dangerous,” Farndale said, referring to temperatures between 86 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. “We play six games over three days, and you can’t just cool down in between.” 

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/olympic-hopefuls-fear-summer-heat-paris-rcna157028

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