5 chaotic moments when wild weather almost ruined the Olympics
The security around Paris 2024 is so stringent that the city has been compared to a jail, with QR codes needed to access the centre.
Police are taking no chances when it comes to attacks on the Games from people but there’s not much they can do about sabotage from the weather itself.
Late July should have been fairly safe for outdoor events, but much like booking a wedding, there’s always the chance of getting rained out on the day.
Unfortunately, the weather has not been kind to organisers so far, with days of torrential rain, quickly followed by a 35°C heatwave that led to competitors needing ice vests and extended breaks.
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A damp squib?
Organisers had a hellish week right from the start, with viewers unable to see the athletes’ patriotic costumes in the opening ceremony as they were covered by plastic ponchos like tourists visiting Niagara Falls.
And once the games got underway, they weren’t much luckier.
Cycling slips
Weather conditions played havoc with road cyclists during Saturday’s women’s individual time trial, with multiple riders crashing to the ground as they took the slippery corners.
US competitor Taylor Knibb fell off her bike four times, eventually deciding to change her bike at a crucial stage on the route.
But the mechanic tasked with bringing her bike completely lost his footing and went flying through the air himself.
Cancellation chaos
The men’s skateboarding had to be postponed to Monday, with the surface at the outdoor Place de la Concorde deemed unsafe for competition.
Tennis was also postponed due to rain, but the event most disastrously affected was the triathlon.
Dirty swimming
Authorities had boasted of a huge clean-up operation for the polluted River Seine to make it safe to swim, with the mayor of Paris promising to get in there herself to demonstrate success (which true to her word, she did do).
But the heavy rainfall thwarted plans, with tests showing that levels of pollution were dangerously high and could put competitors at risk from E.Coli.
Training was cancelled, and things looked so dismal that there were talks of making the triathlon a duathlon instead, with running and cycling only.
Thankfully competitors had the chance for their swim after all as the river was declared clean enough at the last minute, but the farcical episode illustrated how extreme weather has the potential to ruin things.
Extreme heat
Hot temperatures are now the main concern, with heat alerts in place for much of the country.
Paris was under a yellow alert, while temperatures were even hotter further south, including in Marseille on the Mediterranean coast were sailing was taking place under the sun.
Competitors in sailing and in the BMX event in Paris wore ice vests to keep cool, while horses had to have extended breaks to deal with the heat in equestrian events.
It is a reminder of how climate change is playing havoc with what we expect from the seasons, with more extreme and unpredictable weather expected in a warming world.
The average temperature in Paris has risen by 3.1°C since 1924, the year of the last French Olympics, according to the Rings of Fire report by climate scientists looking at effects on the games.
The latest data shows 2024 could be the hottest year worldwide since records began, with Europe being the fastest-warming continent.
Lord Seb Coe, President of World Athletics, warned that climate change ‘should increasingly be viewed as an existential threat to sport’, due to weather conditions making it harder to play outside in general, as well as health issues like heatstroke happening in high temperatures.
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