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Running Hot and Cold: the Atlanta and Sydney Summer Olympics
Paul Kay
Science, Technology, Environment and Resources Group
The modern Olympics began on 6 April 1896 in Athens, and so the Atlanta
Summer Olympic Games will mark 100 years of the event. The forthcoming
Games in Atlanta are likely to be one of the warmest ever held. Only the
St Louis Games in 1904 were held in the same average maximum temperatures.
Depending upon the event, athletes acclimatised to warmer climates are
likely to obtain some relative advantage from the climate in Atlanta.
Apart from the athletes competing in the games, the spectators at Atlanta
may be affected by the combined relative heat and humidity. Looking forward
four years, the Sydney Summer Olympics in September 2000 will be at the
other end of the temperature spectrum, with the coolest average maximum
temperatures since Amsterdam in 1928. As a result Sydney will have significant
advantages over previous locations in terms of spectator comfort and athletic
performance.
Physical Influences on Performance
Temperatures, humidity levels, pollution and elevation can have a strong
impact upon the performance and comfort of athletes in particular sports.
Sports held in climate controlled indoor arenas, such as swimming, basketball
and gymnastics are not greatly affected by climactic influences, nor are
sprints, throws and jumps. Sports such as distance running, (especially
the marathon), equestrian sports, many team field sports and rowing are
markedly affected by the temperature. Athletes and their trainers do allow
for acclimatisation to the temperature ranges anticipated for the event,
for example the Australian hockey team recently played in Darwin which
was viewed as practice for Atlanta. Extended training programs in torrid
climates may, however, be counterproductive to performance.
Non climactic influences can also affect an athlete's performance and
have a demonstrable effect on the Games. The Mexico City Summer Olympics
of 1968 were characterised by the elevation of the location. At 2309m
Mexico City is 81m higher than the highest point in Australia, Mount Kosciusko.
High altitude training is now recognised as a valid training strategy,
improving athlete's results at lower altitudes. Pollution could also influence
performance, and this issue was canvassed prior to the Los Angeles Games
in 1984.
This Note compares average temperatures of past Olympic cities with those
anticipated for Atlanta and Sydney. Table 1 lists the Summer Olympic Games
held since the commencement of the modern Games, along with monthly average
maximum and minimum temperatures for the month of Games' opening. (1)
The elevation of the city above mean sea level is given in metres while
the latitude is given in degrees and minutes. (2)
Table 1
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Games Year Olympic Opening Max Mins Elevation Latitude
Games Date Degs Degs in
City C C metres
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I 1896 Athens 6-Apr 20 11 107 3 Degs 58 Mins N
II 1900 Paris 20-May 20 10 75 48 Degs 49 Mins N
III 1904 St Louis 1-Jul 31 22 173 38 Degs 28 Mins N
- 1906 Athens 22-Apr 20 11 107 3 Degs 58 Mins N
IV 1908 London 27-Apr 13 6 5 51 Degs 28 Mins N
V 1912 Stockholm 5-May 14 6 44 59 Degs 21 Mins N
VI 1916 Berlin Cancelled War
VII 1920 Antwerp 20-Apr 14 5 100 50 Degs 48 Mins N
VIII 1924 Paris 4-May 20 10 75 48 Degs 49 Mins N
IX 1928 Amsterdam 17-May 18 8 3 52 Degs 06 Mins N
X 1932 Los Angeles 30-Jul 27 16 95 34 Degs 03 Mins N
XI 1936 Berlin 1-Aug 23 13 55 52 Degs 27 Mins N
XII 1940 Tokyo Cancelled War
XIII 1944 London Cancelled War
XIV 1948 London 29-Jul 22 14 5 51 Degs 28 Mins N
XV 1952 Helsinki 19-Jul 22 13 46 60 Degs 12 Mins N
XVI 1956 Melbourne 22-Nov 22 11 35 37 Degs 49 Mins S
XVII 1960 Rome 25-Aug 30 20 17 41 Degs 54 Mins N
XVIII 1964 Tokyo 10-Oct 21 13 6 35 Degs 41 Mins N
XIX 1968 Mexico City 12-Oct 21 10 2309 19 Degs 24 Mins N
XX 1972 Munich 26-Aug 23 12 524 48 Degs 08 Mins N
XXI 1976 Montreal 17-Jul 27 14 103 45 Degs 20 Mins N
XXII 1980 Moscow 19-Jul 23 13 156 55 Degs 45 Mins N
XXIII 1984 Los Angeles 28-Jul 27 16 95 34 Degs 03 Mins N
XXIV 1988 Seoul 17-Sep 26 15 87 37 Degs 34 Mins N
XXV 1992 Barcelona 25-Jul 28 21 93 41 Degs 24 Mins N
XXVI 1996 Atlanta 19-Jul 31 21 321 33 Degs 45 Mins N
XXVII 2000 Sydney 15-Sep 19 11 42 33 Degs 52 Mins S
Atlanta's Climate in July
The climate for the Olympics in Atlanta in July will be warm and humid.
In one hundred years of modern Olympics, only the 1904 St Louis Games
commenced in equivalent average maximum temperatures. The average minimum
for Atlanta was equalled by Barcelona's average minimum in 1992, but Barcelona's
average maximum for the games was somewhat less at 28 degrees Centigrade.
Average temperatures in the opening month of the Olympic Games since 1980
are shown in Figure 1; Atlanta is clearly the warmest location.
Humidity combined with high temperatures will adversely affect performances
at the Atlanta games. Average afternoon humidity is less than in Barcelona,
but the warmer maximum temperatures are likely to result in a greater
impact, as air holds more water vapour at higher temperatures. Most people
will experience some form of discomfort in Atlanta's climate according
to well established Indices of Temperature and Humidity. (3) The main
biological method of cooling is perspiration and evaporation which high
temperatures and humidity render less effective. While athletic performance
is likely to be affected, spectator comfort also needs to be considered.
Average morning and afternoon humidity for Olympic cities since 1980 is
shown in Figure 2.
Sydney's Climate in September
The Sydney Summer Olympics in September 2000 will be held in the lowest
average temperatures since the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. The average monthly
minimum temperature for Mexico City at the time of the Games was lower
than will be experienced in Sydney, but the Mexico City maximum was somewhat
higher. Melbourne in November 1956 also had a minimum of 11 degrees Centigrade
like Sydney, but a higher average monthly maximum of 22. Even if the games
were held in Sydney in high summer, temperatures would be somewhat cooler
than those likely for the Atlanta games. Prior to the Second World War
a number of Olympics were held in cities with lower temperatures than
Sydney (Amsterdam, Antwerp, Stockholm and London) but none since the war.
Figure 3 shows the monthly average maximum temperatures in Sydney, Atlanta,
Barcelona, Seoul, Los Angeles and Moscow. Sydney, Barcelona and Los Angeles
are notable for their moderated, flat temperature curves and to a lesser
degree Atlanta exhibits this type of curve. Moscow is generally cool,
but shows a large swing in temperature between winter and summer. Seoul
is hot in the summer, but its proximity to the massive Siberian landmass
leads to an extremely cold winter. This characteristic is a key difference
between most northern hemisphere cities and those in the southern hemisphere.
The southern hemisphere is dominated by water (known as the water hemisphere)
and temperatures are moderated throughout. The northern hemisphere is
dominated by land, leading to massive swings in temperature between summer
and winter. Exceptions are those areas with strong maritime influences
such as Great Britain.
Endnotes
- Johnson, The Olympics, Oxmoor House, 1992.
- Smith & Pearce, World Weather Guide, Times Books, 1984.
- Ruffner & Bair, The Weather Almanac, Gale Research Company 1981.
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