Olympic officials in Paris are planning not to install air conditioning in the 2024 Olympic Village, but athletes are not too happy about the plan and are reportedly planning to reverse “sustainability” efforts.
Officials are planning to hold this year’s Olympics as the “greenest in history,” and have decided not to install air conditioning in the accommodations where athletes stay during training and competitions at this year’s international competitions.
Instead, engineers devised a different cooling plan that involved running water pipes under the floorboards of the barracks.
“The village was designed to maintain a comfortable temperature even in very high temperatures without the need for air conditioning,” said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. SaidAccording to NPR.
But more than 5,000 French people died in extreme heat last summer and some athletes worry the water pipe plan will not keep athletes comfortable while they concentrate on competing.
An interior view of a bedroom during a media visit of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Village in Paris, France on July 2, 2024. (Aurélien Meunier/Getty Images)
In fact, so many athletes are concerned about the heat that some countries, including the U.S. team, have announced that they will bring their own air conditioners to the Olympic Village, against the wishes of Paris Olympic officials.
Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), confirmed that athletes’ accommodation will be equipped with air conditioning.
“In conversations with the athletes, this was a very high priority and they felt it was an important element to their ability to perform and the predictability and consistency of what they’re used to,” she said. But Hirshland went out of her way to say the USOPC had “great respect” for Paris officials and their efforts for “sustainability.”
Other countries that have confirmed their decision to bring their own air conditioners include Canada, the UK, Italy, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Japan and Australia.
In fact, Australia noted that Olympic officials spent $100,000 on air conditioning units.
“We appreciate the concept of not using air conditioning, being mindful of the carbon footprint,” Australian Olympic Committee’s Matt Carroll said, “but this is a high-performance event. It’s not going to be a picnic.”
After all, Mayor Hidalgo is very unhappy with all the teams trying to ignore the “science” of global warming.
“I think we have to trust the science for two reasons,” she complained. “First, scientists are telling us the fact that we are on the brink of a crisis. Everyone has to be aware of this, including athletes. Second, we have to trust that scientists will help us build in a calm way that allows us to get by without air conditioning.”
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