Paris 2024: International pressure proves too strong, Olympic officials backflip on green Games

As the Paris heat wave continues and pressure from athletes and international bodies ramp up, Olympic officials have backflipped on their green Games plan to cool down the sweltering village.

Paris Olympic organisers have succumbed to international pressure from athletes and have provided thousands of air conditioning units to help cool the sweltering rooms inside the athletes’ village.

Most of France is under a heat wave warning with temperatures in Paris and surrounding areas expected to climb to 35C and higher, the national weather agency said.

Organisers have abandoned their strict green aims for the Games, providing the air conditioning for teams to rent, after it became clear that smaller nations were being distinctly disadvantaged as temperatures climb in the French capital.

Games organisers wanted to reduce the carbon footprint of the Games by more than half compared to previous Olympics and the village construction methods were a key component of their target.

Paris has entered a heat wave. Picture: Adam Head

Australian Olympic team officials had anticipated the problem, sorting air conditioning for all of the Australian rooms more than a year ago.

AOC chief executive Matt Carroll said at the time: “we appreciate the concept of not having air conditioning due to the carbon footprint”, but added “this is a high-performance Games. We’re not going for a picnic.”

British, Germany, Italian, Japanese, American and Canadian teams also sorted air conditioning.

The 7000 roomed athletes village was built to showcase green technology and uses a geothermal cooling system which pumps cool water from underground throughout underfloor pipes. The geothermal system is supposed to keep the rooms six degrees cooler than the outside temperature.

But on Tuesday the Paris 2024 spokeswoman Anne Deschamps said they had allowed teams to bring in air conditioning.

“We have found a balance for the athlete’s village long term responsibililty for a model neighbourhood with all of the (green) innovations and our short term responsibility to give to high performance athletes the best conditions,” she said.

Swiss Celia Dupre said on social media that athletes were roasting in the village and some were opting for hotels instead of the village.

“There’s water in the walls that’s supposed to be a cooling system, but it really was hot, and we were on like the second or third floor,” Dupre said. “I can’t imagine people on higher floors.”

Using mist stations are in place around the Games events to try to keep athletes and spectators cool. Picture: Adam Head

French Government officials and Olympic organisers are preparing visitors and athletes for a sweaty and sunny after the Games got off to a soggy start.

A handful of misters were set up at La Concorde urban park, the venue that includes skateboarding and BMX freestyle cycling, and people were already dunking their heads or cooling off with ice cream.

For the equestrian teams, they have a system to keep their horses cool between competitions held in the regal gardens of the Palace of Versailles outside Paris.

The animals are sprayed with cooling water on both sides and stay in the shade after riding the course, which doesn’t take long.

“I would be more worried for the spectators to be honest,” German rider Julia Krajewski said.

Air conditioning is far less common in French homes, shops and restaurants than in Australia.

Originally published as Paris 2024: International pressure proves too strong, Olympic officials backflip on green Games