The Finnish team took care of the air conditioners in the Paris Olympic race village, as the race organizers did not want air conditioning in the rooms, citing environmental reasons.
Roope Visuri,
Riku Salminen
Paris Olympics on channels 26.7.–11.8. Go to the competition website here.
PARIS.
It has been quite hot in Paris, literally, since it has been less than a week since the start of the Olympics. On Friday and Saturday, the thermometer rose well above 30 degrees during the day. Even on Sunday, the temperature was a good 20 degrees.
At the same time, the decision of the race organizers has become a topic of conversation. There is no air conditioning in the rooms in the Olympic competition village. The race organizers have promised that the giant event will be carbon neutral.
French newspaper L’Equipen by cooling is handled by heat pumps.
The leader of the Finnish Olympic team Leena Paavolainen tells Urheilu that Finland was not satisfied with the decision of the competition organizers. The Olympic Committee procured air conditioners for the bedrooms of the Finnish athletes and other team members.
– In that respect, things are fine with the Finnish team. During these two hot days, he noticed that air conditioners are necessary, Paavolainen described.
The decision about the air conditioners was made as soon as the competition organizers’ decision was heard in Finland.
– That decision was made very quickly. Now I can already say that it was the right decision, Paavolainen said.
In mid-June, the news agency AFP reported that the lack of air conditioning had raised concerns among the teams.
The manager of Solideo, which is building a race village Nicolas Ferrand said then at the press conference that there is no cause for concern.
– We build rooms where the temperature is six degrees cooler than outside, Ferrand said.
According to Ferrand, air conditioning could have come to the competition village if the organizing committee of the Paris Olympics had demanded it. At the same time, however, he reminded that this would affect the carbon footprint.
– That is a question for society. Do we collectively accept that the temperature is six degrees less and the carbon footprint is excellent, or is it not okay, and we are ready to reduce the goal, Ferrand pondered.
Those who were in public of information according to at least the United States has also acquired its own air conditioning solution for the competition village.