Everyone knew that Paris is a very warm city in July and August. Visitors, athletes and organisers were not surprised when temperatures in the French capital rose above 30C last Friday and Saturday, just a week before the start of the Olympic Games. Athletes and teams want to feel comfortable. Following the organisers' decision not to install air conditioning in the Olympic Village, several teams have brought their own additional equipment to Paris.

The reason given by the organisers is that since the decision to build the Olympic Village, the aim has always been to reduce the carbon footprint. The sports daily L'Equipe reports, "As there is no air conditioning, heat pumps will be used to cool the athletes' rooms." This has been enough for some, but others, including Finland, have found it insufficient and decided to bring their own air conditioning to the Games. They already have them in their quarters.

The heat is a problem in Paris at the moment, especially for the athletes, who have to have the best possible rest conditions. Since the start of the construction of the Olympic Village and the other sports facilities for the Games, studies have been carried out to reduce the heat and to reduce the carbon footprint and emissions associated with the event. 

The organisers of the athletes' accommodation built it on the premise that the interiors would be six degrees cooler than the outside temperature. According to the organisers, the reduction would be about half, about 50 per cent less emissions. This seemed attractive, as reported by the Yle portal.

 "We've adopted a compact model for the Games, so we've reduced the distances between sports, both for athletes and visitors. We've made sure that there's soft mobility, that there's green mobility, that people can get from one point to another on foot or by bike. A lot has been done for the athletes to help us achieve this ambitious goal. I really hope this will change the way we organise sporting events," Pierre Rabadan, deputy mayor for sport, told Inside The Games this week.

"We are 6° below the outside temperature because of the way we built the buildings in the village. Nevertheless, some federations and athletes have decided to use air conditioning. We are not in favour of this option in the city of Paris, but everyone is free to do what they want within this organisation. 

"In the event of a heat wave, we have decided that there will be air conditioning. If these six degrees below zero outside do not allow for the right conditions and a good night's sleep, it is an option. It's a choice we wish we didn't have to make, but we understand," he added.

"For the Finnish team this is all settled," said Leena Paavolainen, the Olympic team director. "On these scorching hot days we've noticed that air conditioning is necessary. Now I can already say that it was the right decision," she said, as quoted by Finnish portal Yle.

Like Finland, Mexico is well equipped. There is also air conditioning for the 109 athletes in the Mexican delegation who are staying in the F-45 building. Others, such as Spain, are also bringing their own equipment, as is the US national team, which has requested units from the IOC.

In 2023, the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, expressed her desire for the Paris Games to be environmentally exemplary. However, following several protests from Olympic delegations, the organisers decided to allow countries to request portable air conditioning.

The Paris Games will be the greenest in history, at least that is what the International Olympic Committee proposed after the Tokyo Games. The goal is certainly very attractive. But there are 82 buildings and 7,200 rooms. The cooling system proposed by the builders has already been used in other places, such as the museum that houses the Mona Lisa.

However, it is difficult to compromise on the athletes' recovery for such an event. After such efforts, athletes need a cool environment. With the temperatures expected and no cooling assistance, the physical toll is significant. All teams will have extra help in one way or another.