WITH temperatures on the rise ahead of the Paris Olympics, Team Jamaica’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Leroy Harrison says they’re implementing all necessary measures to ensure that the nation’s athletes are well-prepared to handle any heat-related issues in Paris.

All of the country’s athletes are set to arrive in the French capital this week, ahead of the July 26 start and opening ceremony. Jamaica will be represented in track and field, swimming, diving, and judo.

However, they will likely have to battle with intense heat as France’s national weather service says the summer will be warmer than average. Last summer, the country experienced lengthy heat waves with maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius — and it’s been forecasted that it could rise to 40 degrees Celsius over the next few weeks.

Harrison, who served as team doctor to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, says he has established recommendations and guidelines for athletes and coaches to follow so as to avoid any medical matters caused by the heat.

“It’s not just about being hydrated but also the general things to do even when not training or warming up, like not being outdoor in the sun; the type of clothing you wear [should be] things that can breathe, cotton clothing,” he told the
Jamaica Observer. “If you’re on the outside, stay under big trees as much as possible; get out of the sun as much as possible; have ice baths available in the village.”

Parts of the athletes’ village will not have air conditioning units due to the organiser’s eco-friendly initative, which has led to countries such as the USA, Great Britain and China installing units for their athletes at their own expense.

While not confirming that they will follow suit, Harrison says Jamaica Olympic Association will ensure the athletes will remain as cool as possible.

“The JOA are quite aware because the president and myself have discussed that and we have to be prepared. Sometimes when we travel we have to get things in the location that we’ll need,” he said. “The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is aware of that and there’s been some talk about ensuring the village is cool. So, the IOC would put things in place but we’ll have ongoing meetings on things we’ll implement, which includes having ice twenty-four-seven, rehydration, and that sort of thing.”

With the nation’s track and field athletes to compete from August 1 to 11 at the open-air Stade de France, Harrison says he hopes they went through proper acclimatisation to achieve peak performance in Paris.

“Even in Jamaica, it would mean training in the hot periods and during the same time frame of when they compete,” he said. “So, if you’re an athlete and you run at 3 pm in the afternoon in France when the sun is real hot, it would be nice if they were also simulating that sort of thing in Jamaica during the same 3 pm period to see how the body responds to those conditions, and ensure they take all the necessary measure in terms of fluids and that sort of thing.

“I know athletes tend to train more in the morning than the evenings when it’s cool but it may not necessarily be the same conditions under which they compete. But, I think our coaches have been doing this long enough and are senior enough to appreciate that.”

(left, can crop if possible) Dr Leroy Harrison, chief medical officer of Jamaica’s team at the 2024 Paris Olympics (Photo: Collin Reid)

This photograph on Wednesday shows the Olympic Rings displayed at the construction site of Eiffel Tower Stadium for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games which will host the beach volleyball and men’s blind football competitions, at Champ-De-Mars in Paris. (AFP)