Paris Battles Heat as Climate Change Rocks Olympics

PARIS — The postponement of the men’s triathlon at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games because of unsanitary conditions in the Seine is the latest in a series of events in which the Games are starting to be affected by climate change within summer sports.

The revised triathlon schedule will have the women’s event at 8 a.m., with the men’s event at 10:45 a.m., on July 31. There is a contingency for the events to be on August 2 if testing today and overnight continues to show poor water conditions.

Daily water quality tests measure levels of E. coli, with a safe limit of 900 units per 100 milliliters determined by European rules. Aurelie Merle, the Paris 2024 director of sports, said one of four test sites was below the threshold on Tuesday morning while two other sites were just above the limit and one was more elevated.

Temperatures were near 90 on Monday before hitting a high of 94 on Tuesday, significantly higher than the historical average of 79. Humidity has sent heat indexes soaring, leaving people crowding around any available areas of shade at outdoor venues during the afternoon.

This, after heavy precipitation on Friday and Saturday turned the Opening Ceremony into a rain-soaked celebration and forced the postponement of skateboarding for 24 hours. Paris 2024 organizers said the amount of rain in a 36-hour stretch from Friday into Saturday was the equivalent of what Paris normally gets in the entire month of July. There is a chance of thunderstorms in the forecast both on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The heat was expected to be even worse in the south, including the region around Marseille, which is hosting soccer and sailing.

Paris 2024 organizers have focused on sustainability throughout the Games with an underfloor cooling system and insulation instead of air conditioning at the Olympic village where athletes are staying. Some countries, including the United States, brought their own AC units instead.

At equestrian, horses are kept cool between competitions in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. The Associated Press reported the animals are sprayed with cooling water on both sides and stay in the shade after riding the course.

“I would be more worried for the spectators to be honest,” said German rider Julia Krajewski, the defending Olympic champion in the category of individual eventing.

In this face of rising temperatures, Paris 2024 and the IOC announced on Monday planned heat mitigation measures. A total of 480 water points — 80 fountains with six taps apiece — have been installed on venues. More than 1,200 fountains are accessible in public spaces, including over 170 misting fountains installed in the last two years.

Public transport has also become an exercise in sweating; currently, six out of 14 metro lines are fully air-conditioned. The Paris area’s train and metro operator said it will distribute more than 2.5 million containers of water at over 70 train stations and other stops on its network, as well as at bus stations.

Weather-related issues forced multiple schedule changes at the 2020 Games in Tokyo as well. Rugby, tennis, soccer and rugby had heat-related adjustments in its scheduling and one archer fainted during the competition.

“We have to live in the world that we have,” IOC Spokesman Mark Adams said. “As they say in sport, you have to play with what you have in front of you. We have growing issues and we have to deal with them. I don’t think it’s a challenge to Olympic sport or any sport, but you have to be aware of the changing climate and the world that we live in.”