Delegation Of Paris 2024 Olympic Participants Plans To Bring Their Own AC

JAKARTA Several delegates expressed their intention to buy or bring their own air conditioning (AC) from their respective countries to the 2024 Paris Olympics in the middle of this year.

The world's most massive multi-event will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024. About 10 thousand more athletes from 206 delegates will be contestants.

France as the host, currently still insists on not installing air conditioning in athletes' villages and other facilities. This is their effort to make this year's event the most environmentally friendly in history.

The chairman of the Australian Delegation, Anna Meares, said the decision was not at all a mistake in efforts to overcome the climate crisis. However, they will still prioritize the convenience of athletes.

"This (insisting AC itself) is strategic for very high performance (athletes) and to help them sleep," Mears said in a statement as quoted by The Guardian.

Athletes' villages have been designed without air conditioning to reduce carbon emissions. Instead, the organizer will use natural resources and an underground cooling system similar to the one in the Louvre Museum.

For water-based cooling systems in athletes' villages, they will take water from the Seine river. The cold water will then be channeled through building pipes so that it automatically reduces the temperature throughout the athlete's room.

The organizers claim that the athletes' village will produce about half the carbon emissions from conventional buildings. This is due to the use of wood structures and low-carbon concrete.

According to reports, the construction of this athlete village took seven years and cost around 2 billion dollars or equivalent to Rp32.5 trillion.

However, many athletes believe that this step will not quite reach the ideal temperature for an important rest time. This rest time has a very significant impact on their appearance.

The chairman of the Greek Olympic Committee, Alexandra Palli, also rejected the policies of this organizer even for environmental purposes.

"We will bring our own AC from Greece and install it during the Olympics. Then, we will take it home after it's finished," he said in response to a letter from the Washington Post newspaper.

Apart from the two countries above, several other countries are also considering their decision to bring a portable air conditioner unit. Other countries that are ready to take that step are the United States, Britain, and Italy.