Britain's Jack Draper cools off with a bag of ice during a break in play against USA's Taylor Fritz in the second round of their men's singles tennis match on Court Suzanne-Lenglen at the Roland-Garros stadium during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 30, 2024.
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American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles is not the only Olympian feeling the heat in Paris.
The rainy opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games has since been followed by sun and heat warnings, and temperatures in the French capital have risen to as high as 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) in recent days.
“Don't come near me because of my hair,” Biles said via Instagram before the gymnasts' team finals on Tuesday. “IT GOT DONE, but the bus has NO air conditioning and it's 9,000 degrees. Oh, and a 45-minute drive.”
British tennis player Jack Draper complained about the water bottles given to players during his three-set loss to Taylor Fritz of the USA.
“I haven't played in this heat for four months, it's really tough out there,” world number 27 Draper said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
“I sweat a lot so it was difficult to keep hydrated. It was pretty bad. They give the players bottles but the bottles don't stay cool so you're drinking hot water out there,” he added. “It's not fun in those conditions.”
Simone Biles of Team USA reacts after competing on the vault during women's artistic gymnastics qualifications on the second day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Bercy Arena on July 28, 2024 in Paris, France.
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Canadian tennis player Leylah Fernandez also described the heat as “crazy” shortly after her loss to German Angelique Kerber.
“I've trained in Spain and also in Miami, where it's hot – that kind of weather,” Fernandez said, according to the Associated Press. “But sometimes when you're in a game, it's a totally different environment. And in the heat, you feel all your emotions. … I didn't handle it well.”
Meanwhile, the New Zealand women's sevens rugby team said they had resorted to ice water, cold baths and slushies to cool down before the competition.
“Climate change has caused the Olympic Games to crash”
Leading athletes had warned in the run-up to the Games that the Paris Olympics could be the hottest ever, saying the extreme heat forecast for July and August could cause competitors to collapse or, in the worst case, die during the event.
The scorching temperatures experienced by athletes and spectators at the Paris Olympics this week would have been “virtually impossible” without man-made climate change, according to a scientific study by World Weather Attribution.
People cool off with water sprays next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris on July 29, 2024 during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
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“Yesterday, climate change crashed the Olympic Games,” said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London and co-founder of the World Weather Attribution group.
“The world watched as the athletes sweated in 35 degree heat. If the atmosphere were not polluted by emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, it would be about three degrees cooler in Paris and much safer for sport,” Otto said on Wednesday.
Heat control measures have been introduced in many sports to protect the well-being of athletes.
Tennis and football players were given extra breaks, athletes in sailing competitions on the Mediterranean coast wore ice vests to protect themselves from the heat, and BMX riders were given umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.
It's not just about people. The horses are also monitored using thermal imaging technology to detect and prevent overheating. In addition, shade tents, misting fans and mobile cooling units have been strategically placed in the Palace of Versailles.
A fan protects herself from the sun with an umbrella due to high temperatures as athletes compete in the women's canoe individual heats on day four of the canoe slalom of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Vaires-Sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France.
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Spectators frequently used the spray showers provided to cool off, and fans could be seen using umbrellas and forming long lines at ice cream stands.
On Tuesday, volunteers at the Eiffel Tower Stadium even used hoses to spray cheering fans during the USA vs. Morocco beach volleyball match.
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