Athletes Warn ‘Hottest Games On Record’ May Threaten Lives At Paris Olympics

"The Paris Olympics could be the hottest Games on record, with leading athletes warning that the intense heat forecast for competition could lead to athletes collapsing or – in a worst-case scenario – dying in competition.

A new report, Rings of Fire: Heat Risks at the 2024 Paris Olympics, argues the 2021 games held in Tokyo “offered a window into an alarming, escalating norm for Summer Olympics”.

With temperatures above 34C and humidity approaching 70%, the Games were described as “the hottest in history”.

“Competitors vomited and fainted at finish lines, wheelchairs were deployed to carry athletes away from sun-scorched arenas and the fear of dying on court was even raised mid-match by the Tokyo Games’ No 2 seeded tennis player Daniil Medvedev,” the report says."

Ben Doherty reports for the Guardian June 17, 2024.

Source: Guardian, 06/24/2024