Paris aims to keep Olympians cool without air conditioners

Paris aims to keep Olympians cool without air conditioners
The Olympic athletes' village construction site is pictured In Saint Denis, outside Paris, Saturday. Paris Olympics organizers are going underground to find a way to keep athletes cool at the 2024 Games without air conditioners. (AP)
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Updated 21 March 2023

Paris aims to keep Olympians cool without air conditioners

Paris aims to keep Olympians cool without air conditioners
  • In anticipation of hot weather, organizers have been studying heatwaves block by block in the Athletes Village
  • Eliud Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic champion and marathon world record holder, endorsed the Paris sustainability plan

PARIS: The Paris Olympics is going underground to find a way to keep athletes cool at the 2024 Games without air conditioners.

Organizers are planning to use a water-cooling system under the Athletes Village — much like the one that has helped the Louvre Museum cope with the sweltering heat that broke records last year — to keep temperatures in check for the Olympians and Paralympians who stay there.

The decision is part of the organizing committee’s goal to cut the carbon footprint of the Paris Games by half and stage the most sustainable Olympics to date by installing a special technology to use natural sources to keep everyone cool even during a potential heat wave.

“I want the Paris Games to be exemplary from an environmental point of view,” said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has resolved to tackle climate change with an ambitious action plan that aims to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make the City of Lights carbon neutral by 2050.

Compared to a conventional project, the carbon impact will be reduced by 45 percent for the Athletes Village during the construction phase and over the entire Olympic cycle, she said.

For two months between July and September 2024, the Athletes Village north of Paris will host 15,600 athletes and sports officials during the Olympics and 9,000 athletes and their supporting teams during the Paralympics. After the games, the 50-hectare (125-acre) site next to the River Seine in the popular district of Seine-Saint-Denis will become a zero-carbon, eco-friendly residential and commercial neighborhood with 6,000 new inhabitants — the first ones moving in as soon as 2025.

In anticipation of hot weather, organizers have been studying heatwaves block by block in the Athletes Village. They have simulated conditions in the parts of the accommodation most exposed to the sun and have tested the effectiveness of the cooling system with an objective to keep the indoor temperature between 23 and 26 degrees Celsius (73 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit).

The geothermal energy system will ensure that the temperature in the athlete apartments in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb does not rise above 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) at night, including during a potential a heat wave, said Laurent Michaud, the director of the Olympic and Paralympic Villages.

He said organizers have conducted tests in rooms that are located on the highest floors of the residences and are facing south and exposed to direct sun on two sides. They also considered directions of winds in the region and the water temperature in the Seine. They have worked closely with France’s national weather agency to develop temperature forecasts.

“Despite outdoor temperatures reaching 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit), we had temperatures at 28 degrees (82 degrees Fahrenheit) in most of these rooms,” Michaud told The Associated Press, detailing the results of a heatwave simulation. “In other rooms, we clearly had lower temperatures.”

In addition to the underfloor cooling, the insulation built into the buildings will enable residents to keep the cold obtained during the night throughout the day, Michaud said. To keep the coolness inside, the athletes will have to follow some basic rules, he added, including making sure the window blinds are shut during the day.

Laurent Monnet, who is in charge of the green transition at Saint-Denis City Hall, Paris’ northern suburb where the main Olympic Village will be located, said all rooms should be 6 degrees Celsius (11 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler than the outside temperature, without an AC unit. Although some Olympic hopefuls have already expressed concern about the lack of air conditioning, Monnet said athletes should adapt and help contribute to fight against climate change.

“We need athletes to set an example when they use the buildings,” Monnet said. “We can build the most virtuous village we want, it is also the use that will be made of it that will weigh on our carbon footprint.”

Eliud Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic champion and marathon world record holder, endorsed the Paris sustainability plan. The Kenyan is one the sport’s most vocal proponents of environmental justice and has repeatedly sounded the alarm on climate change and the impact of global warming.

“It’s a good thought, because we all need to reduce our carbon,” Kipchoge said in an interview with the AP.

He called on fellow athletes to help combat climate change by reducing their carbon impact during competition, training and their lives in general because “we are all going to go through the same scenario.”

Paris organizers have been in touch with national Olympic committees and said they will have the option of setting up their own AC units in specific cases and on condition that the devices comply with the organizing committee’s technical criteria.

Most national Olympic officials have responded to the plans to keep their athletes cool during the Paris Games with a wait-and-see attitude. Some Olympic officials are not excluding bringing their own air conditioners to France — or paying for one on the spot — depending on the weather at the time.

The Australian Olympic Committee said it will keep an eye on the weather patterns in Paris over the coming year to ensure “the optimal high-performance environment for our athletes, including heat and humidity mitigation that may be required.”

Michaud, the director of the Olympic Village, said organizers want to be kind to the environment, but not endanger the health of athletes. Some athletes, especially in Paralympic events, have difficulty regulating their body’s core temperature and if they reside in rooms in which it proves impossible to keep at 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) at night, national delegations will be able to install a portable AC system.

“It will be on a case-by-case basis, and for health and safety of the athletes,” Michaud said, adding that ventilators vaporizing water droplets could be installed instead of traditional air conditioning units.

Hidalgo, the Paris mayor, is adamantly against turning next year’s event into the bring-your-own-air-conditioning Olympics — health exceptions aside.

“I can assure you that we will not change course and that there will be no changes to the construction program of the village regarding air conditioning,” Hidalgo said.

Regarding the option of organizers providing national teams with an additional cooling mechanism, she said: “I am not in favor of it. We must be consistent with our objectives.”


José Mourinho charged by UEFA for verbally abusing referee at Europa League final

José Mourinho charged by UEFA for verbally abusing referee at Europa League final
Updated 16 sec ago

José Mourinho charged by UEFA for verbally abusing referee at Europa League final

José Mourinho charged by UEFA for verbally abusing referee at Europa League final
NYON, Switzerland: José Mourinho was charged by UEFA on Friday after being filmed aggressively cursing at the English match referee in a stadium garage after the Europa League final.
UEFA said the Roma coach is charged for “insulting / abusive language against a match official” after Sevilla’s victory in Budapest this week.
It was one of a slew of disciplinary charges UEFA opened into incidents at a testy, bad-tempered game that lasted more than three hours on Wednesday.
Footage circulated Thursday of Mourinho approaching referee Anthony Taylor in the garage and calling him a “disgrace” with an expletive.
Later Thursday, Taylor and his family were harassed and verbally abused by Roma fans at the airport in Budapest.
Roma lost to Sevilla in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw that saw players and officials clash on the field and in the technical area.
UEFA charged both teams with improper conduct – typically activated for at least five yellow cards shown – and Roma was charged over crowd disturbances and acts of damage.
Sevilla was also charged because dozens of its fans invaded the field after the match.
UEFA gave no timetable for its disciplinary panel to judge the cases.

Ronaldo and Al-Nassr to take on PSG during summer friendly in Japan

Ronaldo and Al-Nassr to take on PSG during summer friendly in Japan
Updated 02 June 2023

Ronaldo and Al-Nassr to take on PSG during summer friendly in Japan

Ronaldo and Al-Nassr to take on PSG during summer friendly in Japan
  • The clash between Al-Nassr, who finished second in the Roshn Saudi League, and PSG will be held in Osaka on July 25
  • Messi was not among the players PSG used to illustrate the tour announcement on their website

JAPAN: Cristiano Ronaldo and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr will take on Paris Saint-Germain during their summer friendlies in Japan.
The clash between Al-Nassr, who finished second in the Roshn Saudi League, and PSG will be held in Osaka on July 25.
However, there will be no head-to-head between Ronaldo and old rival Lionel Messi, with the Argentine set to leave PSG.
Messi was not among the players PSG used to illustrate the tour announcement on their website.
Last summer PSG traveled to Japan to play three local clubs and were greeted by sell-out crowds, even for their training sessions.
They round off their Japan visit against Inter, who play Manchester City in the Champions League final, at Tokyo’s National Stadium on August 1.
PSG clinched a record 11th French title last week as Messi scored in a 1-1 away draw at Strasbourg.
PSG are scheduled to play J-League club Cerezo Osaka on July 28.
City, Bayern Munich and Celtic have also announced tours to Japan this summer.
(With inputs from AFP)


Lebanon looking to make historic progress at 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar

Lebanon looking to make historic progress at 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar
Updated 02 June 2023

Lebanon looking to make historic progress at 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar

Lebanon looking to make historic progress at 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar
  • Despite being placed in tough group with hosts Qatar, China and Tajikistan, the Cedars will look to reach the Round of 16 for the first time
  • Lebanon have a hectic schedule ahead in 2023 as they prepare for a tournament delayed after China pulled out of hosting

The 2023 AFC Asian Cup may be six months away, but preparations have already started for the 24 qualified nations.

Lebanon know that eyes will be on them from day one as they take on hosts Qatar in the opening fixture on Jan. 12, 2024.

Hassan Maatouk, the Cedars’ captain, has stressed the team’s strong spirits and continued preparations to reach their major objective of the quarterfinal, particularly given the considerable time they have set aside for camps and friendly matches in order to find harmony among the players.

In a group with the hosts, China and Tajikistan, it will not be easy, and history is against them.

The competition was moved to January of next year after China pulled out of hosting duties and will end on Feb. 10 with 10 Arab teams taking part, one fewer than the 11 that played in the 2019 edition in the UAE.

Following the curtain-raiser at Al-Bayt Stadium, Lebanon will play China on Jan. 17 and Tajikistan on Jan. 22, both at Al-Thumama Stadium.

They will be hoping for a big improvement in their results at the last edition of the tournament.

Lebanon won only one of its three 2019 matches — 4-1 against North Korea — before suffering losses to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, both with a score of 0-2.

The opener against Qatar certainly looks the most challenging for the Lebanese, for several reasons.

For a start, the Maroons are the reigning champions and will be doing their utmost to retain the title they claimed in the UAE in 2019. Secondly, they will be keen to make amends to their fans after the massive disappointment of the 2022 World Cup.

More will be expected from Lebanon against the other two teams in the group.

Tajikistan are theoretically the easiest opponent and the only team in the group whose FIFA ranking of 109 is lower than Lebanon’s (99). Despite this, the team has managed to make it to the Asian Cup finals for the first time in their history under the leadership of Croatian coach Petar Segrt and should not be taken lightly.

Lebanon will hope that by the time they face China in their final group fixture their chances of progressing to the Round of 16 are still alive.

Since taking over the Cedars in August of last year, Serbian coach Aleksandar Ilic has overseen several poor results.

He has received significant backing from the Football Association in an effort to change the strategy and direction of the Lebanese national team by introducing young players who can keep up with the rapid development of other Asian teams. The team’s last three friendly matches have resulted in away losses to Kuwait in November (2-0), the UAE in December (1-0) and Oman in March (2-0).

Veterans such as Mohamad Haidar, Rabih Ataya, Omar Bugiel, Kassem El-Zein, and Mostafa Matar have been sidelined as younger players like Mohamed Sadek, Ali Tneich, Mohamad Baker El-Housseini, and Ali Al-Hajj have been drafted in.

However, 35-year-old captain Hassan Maatouk, goalkeeper Mehdi Khalil, and midfielder Nader Matar have retained their place in the squad.

The rest of 2023, and the buildup to the AFC Asian Cup, will be hectic as the team takes part in the Intercontinental Cup in India; the 2023 SAFF Championship also in India; the Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia; several friendlies and even the start of the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup.

As always, logistical and economic challenges abound for the team and its coach, while on the technical side, the players continue to play on artificial pitches at home.

Despite this, Lebanon still have a good chance of making it out of the group stage as the tournament system allows the top two teams in each group, along with the best third-place teams, to advance to the Round of 16.

Such an achievement might seem modest from the outside, but it would be a historic first for the Cedars and will bring a sense of joy and pride to the long-suffering people of Lebanon.


For club, country, Bounou proves hero time and again

For club, country, Bounou proves hero time and again
Updated 02 June 2023

For club, country, Bounou proves hero time and again

For club, country, Bounou proves hero time and again
  • Moroccan goalkeeper named man of match after 2 penalty saves helped Sevilla beat Roma in Europa League final
  • Shotstopper played pivotal role in Morocco’s march to semi-finals of 2022 World Cup in Qatar

RIYADH: Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez, Hakim Ziyech, and Achraf Hakimi are probably the best-known Arab stars active in Europe.

Whether it is for winning trophies, scoring goals, or earning plaudits, they have made plenty of headlines over the years as they play for some of the biggest clubs in the world.

Now, there is another name that has to be mentioned in the same breath and that is Yassine Bounou.

The Moroccan goalkeeper has had quite a few months, and just this week was the toast of Sevilla after helping his team win the Europa League title on Wednesday. In a penalty shootout against Roma in Budapest, Bounou saved penalties from Gianluca Mancini and Roger Ibanez as the Spaniards lifted the trophy for a magnificent seventh time.

The first save from Mancini proved a turning point. After 120 minutes of fractious football ended 1-1, the shootout stood at 2-1 for Sevilla as the Roma captain stepped up. The goalkeeper flung himself to the left, the defender went down the middle, but Bounou somehow got his feet to the ball. As well as a big save, it was an impressive one.

The second from Ibanez was even more impressive, the slight touch that diverted the ball onto the post almost imperceptible at first viewing.

In the chaos of the madcap game, the man known as Bono kept his cool, perhaps helped by football education as a kid on the streets of Casablanca.

“I have already lived moments like this, and I understood that I needed to stay calm today,” he said after the game and a second individual Europa League prize.

“It’s been a year with a lot of emotions, with the World Cup, then Sevilla, and I needed to take it easy for that.”

It was not just about the shootout. Throughout the game he was operating at the highest level and was named man of the match for his heroics. He follows such names as the original Ronaldo, Hernan Crespo, and Brazil’s 1994 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel in that particular individual prize.

It was not the first time that he had been named the best player in a high-profile game and, as the 32-year-old pointed out, not the first time he had been saving penalties in high-pressure situations. The last time he did it was against the Spanish, not for them.

After the North Africans topped a tough 2022 World Cup group containing Croatia, Belgium, and Canada they were rewarded with a second-round clash with Spain. Most expected that the run would end there.

Yet Morocco went toe-to-toe with the 2010 champions with a place in the last eight at stake in the knowledge that they had a top-class goalkeeper at the back. After 120 minutes of intense football and no goals, there was a shootout. This time Bounou made two saves, first from Carlos Soler and then from Sergio Busquets.

In the quarterfinals, he starred once again, keeping another clean sheet as the Atlas Lions defeated Portugal 1-0 to become the talk of the World Cup. He was named the man of the match by FIFA.

“Pinch me, I think I’m dreaming,” he said after the game as he looked forward to being part of the first Arab team to reach the last four of the biggest sporting event in the world.

Morocco had become the story of the World Cup, and not just the team but the fans who took over stadiums in Qatar to make every game feel like a home one.

The miracle came to an end against France, but it was another hard-fought game and added to the respect and affection felt for the Moroccans.

The likes of Ziyech and Hakimi, with Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively, played their part but so did the Canadian-born shotstopper.

Bounou was aware of what had been achieved and knew that it was important that the national team built on that success.

“These moments are great, but we’re here to change the mentality. With this feeling of inferiority, we have to get rid of it. The Moroccan player can face any in the world. The generation coming after us will know we can create miracles,” he added.

That is the mentality of a winner and what he said about Morocco could also apply to the Arab world. It is clearly a matter important to the player. At the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, that took place in early 2022, Bounou spoke Arabic even when organizers in Cameroon asked for English and French only as they did not have Arabic translators available.

“This is your problem, not mine,” he said.

The same could be said for opponent players who are facing Bounou from the spot in the latter stages of a major international tournament. In the past few months, he has come to be seen as a leading goalkeeper and there is surely more to come.


Nuggets dominate Heat 104-93 in NBA Finals Game 1

Nuggets dominate Heat 104-93 in NBA Finals Game 1
Updated 02 June 2023

Nuggets dominate Heat 104-93 in NBA Finals Game 1

Nuggets dominate Heat 104-93 in NBA Finals Game 1
  • Two-time Most Valuable Player Jokic scored 27 points with 10 rebounds and 14 assists to lead the Nuggets
  • Bam Adebayo scored 26 points to lead Miami

DENVER: The Denver Nuggets launched their first NBA Finals campaign in franchise history with a dominant 104-93 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday, propelled by yet another Nikola Jokic triple double.

Two-time Most Valuable Player Jokic scored 27 points with 10 rebounds and 14 assists to lead the Nuggets, who will try to double their advantage in the best-of-seven series when they host Game 2 on Sunday.

Jamal Murray scored 26 points, handed out 10 assists and grabbed six rebounds for the Nuggets, who led by 24 points in the third quarter and repelled the resilient Heat’s fourth quarter challenge.

“We respect their team a lot,” Jokic said. “We just wanted to get the first punch.

“In the first three rounds they won their first game when they traveled on the road and we didn’t want to have that to happen. I think we did a good job.”

Bam Adebayo scored 26 points to lead Miami. Gabe Vincent added 19 and Haywood Highsmith scored 18 off the bench, but Heat star Jimmy Butler was limited to 13.

Trailing by 21 entering the fourth quarter, Miami used an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to 10. Highsmith’s three-pointer got the gap to nine points with 2:34 to play.

But as they had all night, the Nuggets seamlessly pulled away.

Jokic fed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a jump shot, Caldwell-Pope came up with a steal and Aaron Gordon made two free throws as the Nuggets rebuilt the lead.

Jokic added a pair of free throws and a turnaround jump shot and the ecstatic crowd of 19,528 at Ball Arena in Denver could start the celebrations.

“Everybody contributed,” Jokic said. “It’s a great win for us.”

Jokic was content to play facilitator in the first quarter, handing out six assists as the Nuggets clicked quickly despite the 10-day gap since they finished off their sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals.

Gordon scored 12 points in the first quarter. Jokic didn’t take a shot until the waning seconds of the period, when he stripped the ball from Cody Zeller and made a layup that put Denver up 29-20 at the end of the period.

Meanwhile the Heat, who flew straight to Denver from Boston after finally polishing off the Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday, connected on just nine of their 26 attempts in the first quarter.

“They are in a pretty good rhythm, especially in that first half, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Our disposition, the multiple efforts, the resolve in the second half was much better.

“But you get to this level, it has to be complete games of that kind of disposition.”

Denver kept up the relentless pace in the second quarter, Murray scoring 10 points in the period as the Nuggets connected on 60 percent of their shots.

Four Denver players scored in double figures in the first half. Adebayo had 16 before the break for Miami, but Caleb Martin went 0-for-5 and Max Strus 0-for-7.

Not only were the Heat unable to convert the good looks they had, they couldn’t stop the Nuggets inside. Denver outscored Miami 32-18 in the paint in the first half.

Jokic’s 10 points and 10 assists before the break made him the only player besides LeBron James in the past 25 years to reach double digits in both categories in any half of an NBA Finals game.

He’d post his 15th playoff triple double with his 10th rebound in the fourth quarter.

The Heat quickly sliced the deficit to 10 points to open the third quarter, but Denver had the answer to every adjustment they made.

“Right now the most important thing is to win a game,” Jokic said. “We’re trying to win a game any way possible. I don’t need to shoot, I don’t need to score to affect the game. I think I did a good job today.