Athletes win air conditioning battle with IOC after Olympics pledged to be the 'greenest ever'

Thousands of air conditioning units have been ordered for the Olympic Village in Paris after a growing concern over heat in France.

Athletes worried that temperatures in the Village could surpass 79°F (26.1°C) have ordered 'around 2,500 AC units' - despite the fact that the complex was built with the intention to go without air conditioning.

The main concern appears to be over temperatures while sleeping - with the ideal temperature 'within the range of 61°F and 65°F (16-18°C)' a Team USA physiologist told Yahoo Sports.

With growing concerns that athletes might be under-rested ahead of the biggest days in their sporting careers, the IOC relented and allowed competitors to order compact units on their 'rate cards' - the traditional way for participants to order certain products for use during the Games.

'This is a period of time in which consistency and predictability is critical for performance,' USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said, according to Yahoo Sports. 

'And in our conversations with athletes, this was a very high priority, and something that the athletes felt was a critical component in their performance capability, and the predictability and consistency of what they're accustomed to. And so, yes, we will have air conditioners.' 

This is in spite of how the Village was built by design to try and avoid high heat in a more eco-friendly way. 

From trees and gardens being planted to orienting windows away from the sun, to a maze of pipes built under floors that pump cool water through the building, Olympic apartments were designed in the hopes that air conditioning wasn't needed.

"We want to show that another model is possible, and create a legacy for major sporting events,” Georgina Grenon, Paris 2024’s environmental excellence director, told AFP.

It was all part of a pledge by the organizers to host the 'greenest' Olympics in history - trying to serve as an eco-friendly model for how the games can be run. 

Despite this, the United States - along with Canada, Australia, the UK, Italy, and Brazil among others - have confirmed that they will be using air con units in their athlete's buildings. 

Other nations, like Germany, told Yahoo Sports, 'The buildings in the OV are built to reduce heat with a clever bundle of passive measures. We checked these during our regular visits, the concept is working fine.'

Once the games are finished, the Village is set to become an 'eco-neighborhood' - with the area being turned into an office space and affordable housing.