Was it something in the Paris air?

IN 2022, I was asked by the present minister of sports to sit on a UNESCO committee that rewrote how Jamaica answers the biennial anti-doping compliance questionnaire. Although we were generally compliant, the parts that we were failing in for years had to do with research in sports on our athletes.

For six months, I woke up at 4 a.m. to craft Jamaica’s way forward as I met with a group of international representatives beaming from Geneva. I used my research in sports to ensure that Jamaica got the highest score ever. Fast-forward to Paris 2024: our inability to engage in meaningful research which protects our athletes is even more evident.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and Jackson Tuwei, president of Athletics Kenya and World Athletics vice-president, voiced concerns after Tokyo 2021 about heat-related incidents. World Athletics had got together a cohort of athletes and researchers to examine carbon footprints, climate instability and effects on athletes at major games (Findings: 75 per cent of athletes perceive a direct negative impact on their health and performance due to climate change]. The vice-president reiterated that the findings were grave but were to be expected.

Climate change

He said: “Challenges are mounting for athletes regarding air pollution, food, and water insecurity and lack of shade. It was clear that the challenges of climate change-induced extreme heat for athletes are extensive and pose risks of devastating outcomes. As a matter of fact, venues for major Games of the future have to put heat-mitigating measures in place to protect the athletes, spectators, and importantly, reduce the surge of carbon that would be emitted during and after the Games.”

Los Angeles was chosen for the 2028 Olympics because it is close to the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by mountains, thus mitigating the effects of heat surges. France knew it had an enormous responsibility for people at the Games but also knew that it had to protect the population from the after effects of carbon surges and heat-related deaths. France installed an underfloor cooling system to reduce ambient temperature in the athletes’ rooms instead of air-conditioning units. The general diet for the athletes was plant based, again to reduce carbon footprints. Each federation (JOA, JAAA) is allowed to visit the venue prior to the Games to discuss the conditions, food, and logistics for their delegation.

The Australian Olympic Committee had told France verbatim that they “appreciate the concept of not having air conditioning due to the carbon footprint, but this is a high-performance Games. We’re not going for a picnic”. Great Britain had decided more than a year ago that air conditioning was a priority in the rooms of athletes although less environmentally friendly than the underfloor cooling system implemented by France for simple performance reasons, with sleep disrupted by heat cited as a major concern for their athletes.

The United States rented a special facility for its athletes, equipped with state-of-the-art gyms, a restaurant, and a plethora of doctors and scientists, including climate-change specialists and psychologists to ensure that their athletes did not suffer any ill effects in Paris.

I knew Kenya was prepared because I was in contact with their researchers during the Games. Did anyone from the JAAA or the JOA understand what was expected in our preparation for Paris 2024?

Food intolerance

Even though for more than two months I tried to meet with those who could make a difference, to date, I am yet to get a reply from the JOA or the JAAA. The science was ready for implementation as we had worked with some of Jamaica’s high-school athletes and had the same data simulation on heat effects on athletes as done by the United States, Britain, Australia, and Kenya. We have, in our research, modified a heat/humidity thermometer for athletes to be used in Paris based on information from researchers in various temperature regions. We knew that France offered environmentally friendly food, however, Jamaica is expected in this AI and technologically driven era to compare the food in Paris to the foods eaten by our athletes to ensure that they were being properly supplemented with foods that give them the same caloric values needed to drive the usual muscle contractions. Hydration and stable performance are moderated by particulate food and controlled fluid intake. I have learnt that Nickisha Pryce, who strangely crashed out of the Games at the semi-final stage, and others had food intolerance.

Instead of focusing on what is important, each day, there was something in the media on the tiff between the JOA and the JAAA. We deserve better.

Rachel Irving is professor of sports science and biochemistry in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Mona.