the skyline of paris, france

Environmental challenges expected in Paris – new study

A new º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ review article in the number one ranked Journal in the Sport Sciences, the British Journal of Sports Medicine, outlines the various environmental challenges athletes competing at Paris 2024 this summer will face.

Competitors (and all those attending The Games) may be exposed to extremes of heat, humidity, air and water pollution at some point during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in France’s capital city.

Those more likely to witness unfavourable conditions include athletes who compete outdoors and/or in endurance sports. This includes disciplines such as triathlon, marathon, and open water swimming.  

The paper was produced by colleagues from the University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences alongside a variety of world-leading external collaborators.

It states athletes – alongside stakeholders and spectators – should take some personal responsibility through adoption of a variety of mitigation strategies (e.g., cooling, acclimatisation, avoiding air pollution peaks, etc.) alongside organiser-delivered/facilitated infrastructure and policy to support such adoption.

This collaborative approach is recommended as the best way to protect the health and performance of all those attending the games from the potential negative effects of environmental extremes.

Lead researcher Dr Lee Taylor explained: “With less than a month to the Paris 2024 Games, it was fantastic to work with colleagues from the School and world-leading experts (many of whom are centrally involved in the Games) from across the globe to provide guidance relevant to athletes, spectators and other stakeholders on how they can protect their health and performance from the potentially extreme environmental conditions at Paris 2024.

“Hopefully, the evidence-informed guidance will be of use to some of our º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ-linked athletes competing at Paris 2024.”

Loïs Mougin, Doctoral Researcher, added: “The complexity of hosting the Olympics in Paris lies in the multitude of potential environmental challenges, with conditions remaining uncertain even just weeks before the event.

“To ensure safety and preparedness, we urge athletes, spectators, and organisers to heed our recommendations and be ready for the worst-case scenario. My PhD is funded through the Sports for Climate Action and Nature (SCAN) research cluster and alongside being a French National, it has been great to make a potentially positive contribution to the Paris games whilst also surfacing the complex, bi-directional relationship between sport and climate action in a collaborative and cross-disciplinary manner.”

To read the full study, visit:https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2024/06/26/bjsports-2024-108281

Collaborators on the project included: Dr Ben Stephenson (º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ / UK Sports Institute), Dr Valerie Bougault (Université Côte d’Azur, France), Professor Sebastien Racinais (CREPS Montpellier Font-Romeu, France), Professor Margo Mountjoy (McMaster University, Canada), Dr Sarah Carter (Charles Darwin University, Australia), Dr Lewis James (º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ), Dr Stephen Mears (º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ).

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: 24/91

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines. 

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme and named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2024 QS World University Rankings – the eighth year running. 

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is ranked 6th in The UK Complete University Guide 2025, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2024 and 10th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024. 

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes. 

The º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking. 

Categories