Get your news fix on happenings outside the pool with the latest ‘Beyond the Lane Lines.’ With each edition, we collect personal stories, little-known facts, and general items of interest from around the world. Read on and learn something new this week.
#1 Australia to Spend $100,000 on Air Conditioners for Paris 2024
Last summer organizers of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris revealed that no air conditioning would be installed in the Athletes’ Village as a means to limit the carbon footprint of the Games.
At the time, Laurent Michaud, director of Paris 2024 said traditional air conditioning would not be necessary as, “with the insulation of the buildings we can contain the coolness of the night until late the next day and that helps keep an acceptable temperature inside.” (Reuters)
However, the Australian Olympic Committee reportedly isn’t taking any chances, confirming it will place more than $100,00 worth of portable air conditioning units in athletes’ rooms during next year’s events.
“The Paris Organizing Committee aren’t putting built-in air conditioning into the athletes’ village, due to the commitment around the games being powered by 100 per cent renewable energy,’’ AOC CEO Matt Carroll told News Corp.
“Each room will have an under-floor cooling system, while double-glazed windows and shutters will be part of the build.
“We appreciate the concept of not having air conditioning due to the carbon footprint.
“But it is a high-performance Games. We’re not going for a picnic.”
Carroll also said, “We’ve (AOC) appointed a heat specialist, who understands the heat, the human body and how to sleep well, and at what temperature that is best achieved.
“As we’ve explained to the Paris Organizing Committee, athletes have got to sleep during the day, because their events are at night.
“Daytime will be when it’s hottest. That’s been informing our decision in putting temporary air conditioners in the athletes’ rooms and also fans.
“It’s an expense, but we believe we’ll be able to manage it.’’
Per our report in March 2023, during a heatwave of 39°C, the Village interior is said to be able to maintain temperatures of 28°C, warmer than what the French delegation has said should be the maximum to maintain performance (26°C).
#2 Paraguay May Take Over 2027 Pan American Games
Colombia was stripped of its 2027 Pan American Games hosting duties earlier this month. Per our report, Panam Sports conveyed that its Executive Committee unanimously decided to withdraw the venue of the XX Pan American Games due to ‘countless breaches of current contracts.’
Since, Ciro Solano, the head of the Colombian Olympic Committee, told Agence France Presse that the country will try and regain hosting rights, saying “We are going to take action, we want to do everything amicably, we still have hope of recovering the Games.”
In the meantime, Paraguay has expressed its interest in taking over as host of the elite international sporting event.
“We have repeatedly stated that Paraguay is interested in multiple sports events. We have already submitted our bid for the Junior Olympic Games. We would like to host other events,” President of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee (COP), Camilo Pérez said this week. (Agencia de Informacion Paraguya)
However, Colombia plans to regain the Pan-American Games hosting, and a crucial meeting on this matter is scheduled for Monday, as reported by El Espectador.
#3 Paris 2024 Venue Construction 84% Complete
With fewer than 200 days remaining until the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony, organizers conveyed that construction on venues and other infrastructure hovers at 84%. This falls short of the projected 89% completion rate expected to have been achieved at this time marker.
According to a report by Inside the Games, there have been delays in three areas: work on the Grand Palais, three buildings in the Olympic Village and the Colombes swimming pool, the latter of which will host the artistic swimming competition.
The report also details that Paris 2024 has seen no major changes to the €4.5 billion (~$4.9 USD) budget.
#4 England’s Millfield Recognized as Top Sports School
For the tenth time in eleven years, Millfield School/Millfield Prep School has been recognized as the leading sports school in the UK, according to the latest rankings by School Sports Magazine.
The Millfield swimming performance squad, which features Olympians James Guy and Matt Richards, was specifically called out for its success. The squad is coached by Ryan Livingstone, winner of SwimSwam’s 2023 Swammy Award for British Coach of the Year.
Richards delivered an upset victory in the men’s 200m freestyle at the 2023 World Championships while placing 5th in the 100m free in a new British Record in the event.
Richards and Guy subsequently went 1-2 in the men’s 200 free at the European Short Course Championships in December, with Guy winning his first international medal in the event in seven years.
#5 Aussie Lani Pallister Wins 5th Lorne Pier to Pub OW Race
The 2024 edition of Australia’s famed Lorne Pier to Pub open water race took place on Saturday, January 13th, with 21-year-old Lani Pallister topping the podium.
World Championships gold medalist Pallister claimed her 5th consecutive gold medal in the race, exiting the water first for ‘female super fish’ aged 18-30.
Thomas Neerhut claimed gold for the ‘male super fish’ aged 18-30.
With the ocean course running from the Lorne Pier to the foreshore in front of the GMHBA clubhouse, nearly 5,000 competitors, both amateur and professional alike, took to the open water.
Bonus
The ACC is seeking an injunction against Florida State to bar the University from participating in league affairs due to FSU’s attempt to withdraw from the ACC’s grant of rights.
From ESPN’s Pete Thamel: “The ACC filing on Tuesday includes six claims, including FSU breaching its contract with the ACC, breaching confidentiality in the media rights agreement and breaching fiduciary obligations and obligations of good faith. […]
“The filing also challenges FSU’s ability to have school officials in conference leadership positions, which includes FSU president Richard McCullough being on the ACC’s board of directors and the finance committee. It asks for a ‘permanent injunction barring Florida State from participating in the management of the affairs of the Conference while it has a direct and material conflict of interest’ with the conference’s objectives.” Both parties have to respond to the filing by February 16th. (link)
marginal gains.
We have in France, and especially in Paris, completely demagogic ecologists who think that by eliminating car traffic in Paris the whole planet will be saved! So you think air conditioning is not their “cup of tea”!
Eliminating car traffic in cities makes them a lot nicer for, y’know, people. Instead of just places to park cars.
Hayden Cotter won the men’s Pier to Pub race for a 5th time.
I hope they confiscate em.
Or we Americans should get to bring our guns.
Team USA sent advance teams to Rio to fix/finish plumbing among other things in the Athlete’s Village. They’re on it.
Im looking forward to the Carbon neutral Olympics!
Especialty those non air conditioned corporate suites at all the venues housing the Official Olympic Partners such as Coca Cola,VISA etc!
Olympics is so carbon neutral that Olympics delegates will use horse carts and sail boats to reach Paris in order to avoid using carbon splurging planes.
I stayed in a five star high rise eco-hotel once in Canberra that had no air con because of its double glazing, shading, air flow features etc… Was like an oven in the afternoon sun. …. Totally unbearable!!!
Isn’t hosting a huge event like this inherently impactful anyways? Seems like splitting hairs on a front to pinch pennies
Virtue signalling. These portable air conditioners will use more power than the ones they refused to install.