The last summer Olympics, in Tokyo, were the hottest on record. The Paris games, kicking off next week, could be hotter. With wide boulevards, busy roads and zinc-topped roofs, Paris is a heat island. Daytime high temperatures have routinely topped 30°C in July and August in recent years. Add high humidity and competitions scheduled around midday, and it becomes a potentially dangerous environment for competitors.
The heat risk experienced by athletes is different to that for those of us watching from the sidelines. Exercise produces considerable warmth in the body as a by-product of movement. That heat is dissipated…
