Endless hurdles! That’s what athletes are facing in the Paris Olympics. First, it was the return of the infamous cardboard beds, and now they are dealing with another set of problems. Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team are set to dazzle in the team final on July 30 as they look to complete their redemption arc. As Biles prepares to bring her A-game against Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade and make history, she took to social media to reveal the curveballs she’s been dealing with before she hits the floor at Paris’s Bercy Arena.

Preparing to win a fourth gold medal, Team USA is determined to right the wrongs of Tokyo, when they finished with a silver medal. That quest is led by Simone Biles, who wants to leave no stone unturned in getting her nation back to the top of the podium. But so far the conditions in the Olympic village have not been kind to Biles and other athletes.

Simone Biles shared an Instagram story of herself in a chic black tank top, accessorized with a necklace that had “Owens” written on it, and an elegant ponytail. Her ponytail was styled higher than usual, likely a nod to avoiding the sweltering heat. In her video, Biles humorously addressed the situation, with the caption, “Don’t come for me about my hair. It was done, but the bus has no AC and it’s like 9,000 degrees. Oh, and a 45-minute ride.” All the while, she’s trying to stay cool with just a hand fan.

For the Texas-based gymnast, the heat may not have been a problem but the unpredictable weather has led to high humidity compounding the problems.

The 2024 Paris Olympics witnessed a rain-soaked opening ceremony followed by a heat wave warning with temperatures soaring to 35°C (95°F) or higher. This dramatic shift in weather conditions has created harsh conditions for the athletes and disrupted plans, including the men’s triathlon, which was postponed just hours before it was set to begin due to pollution in the Seine.

With global temperatures breaking records, Paris 2024 is tackling the heat with underfloor cooling and insulation at the Olympic Village instead of air conditioning. However, some athletes, like those from the U.S., have brought their own cooling equipment. As the city contends with this extreme weather, both athletes and organizers are facing significant challenges. Meanwhile, volunteers sprayed cheering fans with hoses at the shadeless beach volleyball stadium near the Eiffel Tower and posted signs indicating water refill stations.

But, how can outdoor Olympic events be managed under such conditions?

Heat waves can severely affect athletes’ mental and emotional well-being during the Olympics. Extreme temperatures often lead to dehydration and exhaustion. The accelerated fatigue from the heat can drain both physical and mental energy, reducing athletes’ concentration.

Tennis player Marcus Daniell, who won a bronze medal for New Zealand in men’s doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, recounted the challenge of staying hydrated amid the extreme heat and humidity three years ago. In June he talked about the dangers of playing in high temperatures something he encountered in Japan. “Your mind can’t focus and your mouth is disgustingly dry. And the dangerous thing is that athletes often don’t know when to stop, because we’re conditioned to push ourselves beyond limits as a rule.”

France’s national weather agency noted that heat waves are becoming “increasingly intense, frequent, early, and long-lasting” due to climate change. Before 1989, these high temperatures occurred roughly once every five years. Since 2000, they have become an annual event, with the trend expected to continue rising. But the hot and humid conditions aren’t the only problem Biles and other athletes faced in Paris.

As the women’s gymnastics team arrived at the Olympic Village on 22 July, they came across an issue with the infamous cardboard beds from Tokyo. Labeled as the ‘anti-sex’ beds, they are smaller with sturdy cardboard frames and polyethylene mattresses and many athletes complained about them not being ideal for sleep.

This led to the USA women’s gymnastics team getting mattress toppers, following their partnership with BedJet, much to the delight of Biles’ coach Cecile Landi. In an interview with Sports Illustrated on July 25, she revealed, “We’re getting mattress tops today, Hallelujah, so we’ll sleep a little better.”  

It seems the team is battling on more than one front in their quest for Olympic glory. However, tonight is a momentous occasion for Simone Biles as the 27-year-old is gunning for the title of the oldest gymnast to win gold at the Paris Olympics.

This ambitious goal is even more impressive considering she’s recently faced a calf injury sustained on July 28. With fierce competition like Rebeca Andrade, the world’s second-best gymnast, in the fray, Biles will have to go the extra mile to secure her victory.

Rebeca Andrade, the best of the rest looking up to Simone Biles

The U.S. women’s gymnastics team used to joke about a “non-Simone Biles” division, recognizing that Biles is so far ahead of her competitors that surpassing her seems nearly impossible. This holds true more than ever as Biles led Olympic qualifying with a score of 59.566, nearly two points clear of Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, the runner-up at the 2023 World Championships.

Despite a flare-up of a calf injury that had her limping visibly between events, Biles remains the top contender. If she stays healthy and mentally focused, she’s set to clinch her second Olympic all-around title, becoming only the third woman, and the first since 1968, to achieve this feat. She would also be the oldest woman to win Olympic gold since Maria Gorokhovskaya in 1952.

Meanwhile, Rebeca Andrade stands out as the leading competitor in the “non-Simone division.” Andrade, who finished almost two points behind Biles in qualifying on 28th July, has been a top gymnast in her own right. Since the Tokyo Olympics, she won the all-around title at the 2022 World Championships while Biles was on a break and secured silver in 2023 after Biles returned.

Andrade also claimed the world vault title and boasts nine World Championship medals, including a historic silver in the team competition, the best finish ever by Brazil. Her achievements are even more impressive considering she has overcome three ACL tears and made history as the first Brazilian woman to win Olympic medals in gymnastics.

Update: Simone Biles, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, and Hezly Rivera finished with 171.296 points to clinch gold in Paris. Their total was nearly six points ahead of Italy in second place (165.494) and seven points ahead of the third-placed Brazilian team (164.497). With this Biles became the most decorated U.S. Olympian gymnast in history with 8 medals and 5 of them being gold.

So, what do you think with such heat waves can athletes perform at their best form?