Climate change effects on sports 'alarming' warns World Athletics Chief Sebastian Coe

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe on Sunday has warned that climate change will affect sports calendars. Speaking on the final day of the Tokyo Games, Coe asserted that climate change will also affect sports bodies and eventually lead them to rethink their calendar of events. The two-time Olympic champion has also stated that the situation needs a global discussion on future events. 

World Athletics president warns of climate change effect on sporting events

"You don't have to be a devotee of climate change or a denier to know the world is getting hotter," Coe said.

"It probably will mean a global discussion around the calendar and how we stage events," he added 

Earlier in 2019, the men's women's marathons and race walks were moved from Tokyo to Sapporo considering the cooler temperatures. However, Saturday's women's marathon had to be moved up one hour to 6 AM on the event day as Sapporo turned out to have a hot temperature. In addition, Tennis and women's soccer were also switched from morning start times under pressure from players concerned for their health. Coe also spoke about the stress that his staff underwent as a result of creating field hospitals and concerns of athletes' welfare. 

"Nobody wants to do that. That's not what we came into the sport for," he said, adding we could well be confronting the same temperatures in Paris in 2024.

"The new norm is, particularly in dealing with endurance events, really harsh climatic conditions, Coe said.

Coe had asserted that the challenge of climate change and sporting events needs to be confronted by everyone. He maintained that the situation needs a debate while reiterating that sports bodies will be revisiting what is possible and probably having to be more adaptable in the future. 

UN Science Panel to release key report on Climate Change 

An UN-appointed panel of experts is releasing a key report Monday summarising the latest authoritative scientific information on climate change. The report will provide governments with up-to-date facts on the current impacts and future risks of global warming ahead of a UN climate summit in November in Glasgow. It will also examine how various options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will affect the pace of climate change over the coming decades.

With AP Inputs