As hosts of the Summer 2024 Olympic Games, Paris set the goal to hold the most environmentally friendly Olympic games, in part inspired by the global backlash that the 2016 Summer Games in Rio, Brazil, faced for its lavish spending on one-time use facilities that quickly fell into disrepair. In this pursuit of sustainability, Paris inadvertently sacrificed the comfort and well-being of the athletes, overshadowing its environmental efforts. The world will not remember Paris as a sustainable host for the Olympic Games; instead, it will be the city that prioritized optics over the athletes’ experience.
One way that Paris aimed to reduce their carbon footprint was by providing plant-forward options at the dining hall in the Olympic Village, a move which quickly became unpopular with the athletes. The dining hall often ran out of popular protein options such as eggs and chicken, which was problematic for athletes preparing to compete. The struggle to access adequate nutrition at the dining hall became so severe that Great Britain’s team hired a private chef to meet the team’s nutritional requirements. When the goal to provide more sustainable food options comes at the cost of the nutrition of the top competitors in the world, there are clearly some serious flaws in plan execution.
Another choice the French made to reduce the Games’ carbon footprint was omitting air conditioning from the Olympic Village. This proved troublesome for athletes accustomed to climate controlled facilities, especially during one of the hottest months of the year. The move prompted quick responses from some of the largest participating nations, with countries including the United States, Australia, and Canada bringing portable AC units so that their athletes would not have to sacrifice comfort and rest during the games. Just like the catering options, Paris’ choice to tout environmentally friendly choices sacrificed the comfort and performance of athletes, requiring teams to take the situation into their own hands.
Beyond the effort to make the games environmentally friendly, Paris also wanted to utilize its iconic locations as backdrops for the athletic events. While this led to some stunning shots, such as beach volleyball with the Eiffel Tower in the background, this also led to athletes falling ill. Despite detecting unsafe levels of bacteria in the river after runoff from a recent rainstorm, the mixed relay triathlon took place in the Seine. After a member of their team became ill after swimming in the river, the Belgian team withdrew from all events Paris held in the Seine. Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century, partly due to consistent water quality issues. The choice to have athletes swim in the river to create picturesque moments for Paris sacrificed the health and safety of athletes.
In their quest to host Olympic games that wouldn’t suffer the same negative press that other recent hosts have faced, Paris caused problems that will tarnish their legacy as an Olympic host. Instead of thinking about the sustainability of the games, people will look back and remember the choices Paris made that deprioritized the health of athletes. As France passes the Olympic torch to the United States, Los Angeles must also accept the responsibility to uplift athletes to showcase their excellence on the international stage. The Olympics is a presentation of sportsmanship, not of virtue signaling.