00:00The athletes at the Paris Olympics are battling an X-factor, the heat.
00:15It's peak summer, Paris is boiling and so is the Olympics Games village.
00:22The organisers of the Paris Olympics have decided to go with no AC setup.
00:26This is in line with their ambitions of hosting one of the greenest games ever and maintaining
00:31a low carbon footprint.
00:33However, the weather has not been on their side.
00:36Paris has been boiling over the last one week with temperatures going as high as 36 degrees
00:42Celsius.
00:43Fans are complaining, the athletes are complaining and everyone going to the matches, which are
00:48mostly held in outdoor locations, are complaining as well.
00:51The organisers of the Olympics had hoped that the geothermal cooling system that they have
00:55installed at the Olympics village would work, but unfortunately it has not.
01:00As temperatures continue to rise, athletes are looking to beat the heat and their countries
01:04are leaving no stone unturned to make their best feel comfortable at this event.
01:11We thought that there might be portable air conditioning in our apartment, but when we
01:16got there it was just one fan, so we were a little sweaty.
01:23So what that says to me is, you know, we just have to make the best of it, just like
01:28the athletes do.
01:29Yeah, I mean, I think the good news for teams that can afford it is that they get what their
01:35athletes need.
01:36I did also hear that there were some food and supplement that needed to be changed,
01:42but in general I don't want to disparage Paris and France because they've been incredible
01:48hosts so far.
01:50I think teams just have to be prepared for unexpected, and we never saw an opening ceremony
01:54with that much rain, and I thought it was one of the best opening ceremonies I've ever
01:59seen in my life, and I've been watching the Olympics for over 50 years.
02:05We're from Colorado, where we do a lot to reduce climate change and to reduce our impact
02:11on the earth and reduce fossil fuels.
02:13We have really enjoyed seeing the electric car chargers all over the city.
02:18We love how they have recycling everywhere.
02:21I think that's what every host country should be required to do, and I wish that we could
02:26do more, even in the United States, but kudos to Paris for leading the way on a green Olympics.
02:40Well, we just arrived yesterday, and yes, it was warm.
02:43We got to a place that we're renting, and it was hot, and there was just a fan, but
02:49it cooled down for the night, which was nice, and today feels great.
02:57Many countries at the Olympics Games Village have decided to buy their own portable ACs
03:01just because it is so hot, and the Indian delegation is no exception.
03:06It's been learned that the Indian delegation has been provided with close to 40 portable
03:10air conditioning units by the sports ministry after requests were made by athletes due to
03:14the heat and humidity at the Olympic Village.
03:26Interestingly, India is one of the last countries to have made the demand for portable ACs.
03:31The list of countries that have procured these air conditioners or got their own is really long.
03:38The weather is changing every time.
03:44The first days, we got a lot of rain, and then it was very, very hot.
03:52We got to Beach Volleyball, and it was under 40 degrees over there.
03:57There's not a lot of places with air conditioning because of the pollution, and I don't think
04:05it's very comfortable for people, but maybe we can do something to the world and not to
04:12get it down so fast.
04:16We think that the athletes need to...
04:19To be comfortable?
04:21Yes, and maybe they need more air conditioner or something to feel fitting.
04:30Feel better, to sleep better, to rest.
04:35For me, this two last months is very hot because in July and August, we have a lot of sun,
04:42and for me, this is very difficult for the players of the Olympic Games because there
04:47are a lot of sun, and they need to drink a lot of water to do the best of their possibility.
04:58The United States delegation, for instance, brought along with them air conditioners
05:02when they arrived in Paris.
05:03Japan, on the other hand, procured these ACs at the Olympic Games Village, a provision
05:08which was made by the organizing committee after athletes and delegations complained
05:12of the severe heat waves that were going to hit Paris during the Olympics.
05:16Other countries that have also bought their own plug-in air conditioners include Britain,
05:21Canada, Germany, Italy, the list goes on, and it's an exhaustive one.
05:26In fact, many athletes have also chosen to move out of the Olympic Games Village.
05:30Heat, of course, is one of the reasons, but it's not limited to that.
05:33There are also other complaints that the athletes are making, such as the beds that have been
05:37made of cardboard, as well as the food options that are available in the cafeteria at the
05:42Olympic Village, which is not sitting well with them.
05:53The weather has improved slightly in the French capital today.
05:55As you can see, the wind is blowing, the sun, of course, is playing hide-and-seek,
05:59but over the next couple of days, Paris, France, Europe, is expected to experience
06:05a heat wave, and as that comes in, it's going to be interesting to see how the athletes
06:09cope at the Olympics Village.
06:12For One India, this is Paridhi Bhanot from Paris.
06:24The Olympics are about athletes, games, and medals, but this season, we bring you all
06:28of that with a side of food, culture, and memorable experiences.
06:36I'm Paridhi Bhanot bringing you all the latest from Paris for One India.
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