Who knew air conditioning could be a performance enhancer? Photo: Sean Evans//ISA
As part of Paris 2024’s sustainability plan, the athletes’ village in the French capital will not feature air conditioning. Instead, the massive complex, designed to house 6,000 Parisians after the Olympics, will be cooled with a more energy-friendly geothermal system that runs cold water through pipes.
Organizers say that the system will keep temperatures ten degrees (Fahrenheit) cooler inside than out, but many countries aren’t willing to risk it. Weary of Europe’s humid summer heat waves that can send temperatures soaring, several delegations have decided to bypass the sustainability plans and bring air conditioning units of their own for athletes.
Australia, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Italy, the U.K., and the U.S. are reportedly planning on installing their own AC rigs in the rooms of each athlete. Brazil and Norway have also expressed concern over the lack of AC.
When reached for comment, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said that the surf team had booked accommodation in Tahiti that comes with AC, so they wouldn’t need to bring their own.
As far as the other countries who are supplying athletes with AC, it likely won’t be necessary in Tahiti for several reasons. From reading online reviews of the Aranui 5, the cruise ship that will serve as the athletes’ village for surfers, it appears that the ship is already equipped with AC. However, it’s likely that many delegations have sought out accommodation arrangements in Teahupo’o, putting the question of AC into their own hands. Additionally, temperatures during the southern hemisphere’s winter in Tahiti are relatively cool and generally more stable than the high variance of temperatures that Paris can experience in the summer.
“We will have air conditioning in the rooms in the village,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said in a press briefing. “We have a great respect for the work that’s been done by the Paris Organizing Committee in particular, and their focus on sustainability… This is a period of time in which consistency and predictability is critical for Team USA’s performance, and in our conversations with athletes, (AC) was a very high priority and something that the athletes felt was a critical component in their performance capability.”
Paris’ Mayor Anne Hidalgo pushed back on those who don’t believe in their cooling plan, even adding a slight jab at the wasteful nations that are bringing AC.
“I think we have to trust science on two counts,” said Hidalgo “The first is what scientists are telling us about the fact that we are on the brink of a precipice. Everyone, including the athletes, must be aware of this. And secondly, we have to trust the scientists when they help us to construct buildings in a sober way that allows us to make do without air conditioning.”
If the rooms are, in fact, hot, having an AC unit could be the best performance enhancer that the Games have ever seen. Nothing zaps the body of energy like lounging around all day in humid heat. Imagine if it comes down to those who have it versus those who don’t. That’s a storyline to follow.
But on the other side of the world in Tahiti, I don’t imagine the AC debate will be relevant among surfers. Between the cruise ship and private accommodations, AC shouldn’t be hard to find for those who want it.
