The Olympics and Climate Change: Setting Records In and Out of Competition
As the 2024 Paris Olympics end and the 2024 Paris Paralympics begin, we couldn’t help but wonder what the future of the Olympics will look like with an increasingly warming climate. Despite the International Olympic Committee’s efforts to make these Games the most sustainable yet, this year’s Summer Olympics were among the hottest on record.
How will climate change impact athletes?
Rising temperatures will not only make participation in the Games more difficult, but they will also pose severe health risks including heat stroke. Researchers found that 15 Olympic sports have a high risk of heat stress, including cycling, field hockey, and tennis. Several of these sports lack effective policies to address the strain on athletes, such as increased water breaks or postponing competition. Conversely, higher temperatures and shorter winter seasons will allow less time for winter athletes to practice.
Climate-induced health impacts are widespread and well-documented around the world. There is another impact that is specific to the Olympics and its athletes, and that is the increasing difficulty of breaking Olympic records. Today’s athletes break records by the smallest of margins, and the toll it takes to acclimate one’s body to extreme heat can make the difference between a world record and going home without a medal. A study of 60 major marathons found that participants ran fastest between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and temperature increases beyond that point caused marathon performances to decline in a predictable manner.
How will climate change impact the future of the Games?
Climate change not only threatens the future of the Olympics, but it is already affecting the world’s largest sporting competition. Research by Climate Central’s Rings of Fire report shows that in the average Olympic month temperatures in Paris have increased by 3.1C since 1924, when the city last hosted the Games. This year, extreme heat in the host city forced schedule delays and changes for several events and saw the increased use of cooling mechanisms like ice vests. But heat has not been climate change’s only impact on competition. Triathlon and open water events were repeatedly postponed due to unsafe bacteria levels in the Seine, a result of persistent heavy rains. Meanwhile, rising temperatures can increase the likelihood of toxic algae blooms in open water venues which are in turn fed by nutrient runoff from flooding and heavy precipitation. Extreme variability of precipitation levels and continually increasing temperatures are markers of climate change impact and have been on full display alongside the world’s best athletes in recent years.
Venue selection for Olympic hosts, an already arduous process, will become more difficult as less locations become viable. Currently, 15 potential Winter Olympic hosts meet the IOC’s criteria for future Games, meaning they are climate feasible through 2050 and 80% of required venues already exist. By 2040, that number is expected to drop to 10. The winter season is shortening year after year, and sports are becoming more susceptible to climate extremes, leading to postponements and cancellations of competition.
The International Olympic Committee will have to embrace adaptability and flexibility as they consider future locations for the Games. Potential measures could include rotating hosts among locations that are better suited to withstand the impacts of climate change, or holding sports in different locations within the same Olympic Games, as Paris did with surfing in Tahiti this year. With adaptive and creative strategies, the world can hopefully continue to enjoy the Olympics for many years to come.
