On hot ground - Qatar bids for the 2036 Summer Olympics
Doha officially threw its hat into the crowded ring to host the 2036 Games last week, positioning itself as the 'ready to go' option with "95% of the required sports infrastructure in place." However, the bid committee must navigate one of the Olympics' biggest emerging obstacles yet: the climate.
Last Tuesday, the day that the Qatar Olympic Committee announced the bid, temperatures in Doha reached over 40ºC. With the Summer Olympics customarily held during July and August, the country's hottest month, participants and fans would be subject to uncomfortable and dangerous temperatures that can reach 41ºC during the day, dropping to 33ºC at night.
The Middle Eastern nation is no stranger to overcoming this hurdle, however. After being chosen to host the 2022 World Cup, organisers announced it was changing the competition dates, a move supported by FIFA, and the tournament was eventually played in November and December, instead of the traditional June through July schedule.
Qatar underscores its preparedness in hosting sports events. GETTY IMAGES
Qatar proposed hosting in autumn rather than conventional summer to avoid sweltering temperatures in its 2016 and 2020 bids. Still, it was dismissed by the International Olympic Committee due to conflicts with the broadcast schedule and the global sporting calendar. However, the Qataris may have an ally this time around.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry told The Athletic back in March that the climate crisis would open up the Games for flexibility to better provide optimal conditions for the athletes. "Do we need to remain steadfast on when we hold the Games? I think we have to start that conversation to open up new regions and countries, but also just to tackle climate change.
"We have an incredible amount of interest in the Games for 2036 and 2040 from new regions, which is exciting," Coventry added. "It opens up the question of the timing of the Games and we need to be proactive about that, both summer and winter."
Doha has hosted a variety of world-class events. GETTY IMAGES
Rethinking the competition schedule could soon be the trend. World Athletics is holding its championships later this year to avoid the worst of Tokyo's heat. Just last month, FIFA was urged to consider extreme heat and change its World Cup 2026 kick-offs. Football's governing body has already made adjustments in the Club World Cup in June, by updating its extreme heat protocol to include extra breaks in play, more field-side water, cooling the team benches and providing more fans and shade.
Wimbledon had its own struggles. Last month's stifling heat was "really, really tough," one tennis player told reporters. Fans urged organisers to break protocol and close the roofs, as some spectators collapsed and needed medical attention, interrupting play.
Qatar has most of the infrastructure already in place. GETTY IMAGES
As various events experience the marring effects of rising temperatures on their players, athletes' voices are also making themselves heard. Last year, several Olympians collaborated with climate scientists and heat physiologists from the University of Portsmouth in a study to assess the threat heat poses to athletes.
The report, Rings of Fire: Heat Risks at the Paris 2024 Olympics, highlighted that in the world's current trajectory, holding the Games in July will be 'nearly impossible' over extreme heat. So while Qatar may not be able to provide the ideal environment for the Olympics during the searing summer months, the emirate may not soon be alone in this regard.