Why Ohio could be too hot for the Olympics
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Most of the world will be too hot to host the Summer Olympics by 2050, but what about Ohio?
Driving the news: The opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics begins at 1:30pm today, airing on NBC and Peacock.
By the numbers: An Axios analysis of CarbonPlan data finds that, in 2050, 60% of locations globally will experience Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures above 82°F, the American College of Sports Medicine's recommended threshold for canceling outdoor, continuous activity to avoid heat illness.
- CarbonPlan's models estimate that 69% of weather stations in Ohio would experience temperatures above the "cancel activity" level in 2050, compared with 0% of stations in 2020.
How it works: Wet Bulb Globe Temperature is a metric that takes into account air temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind to assess the risk of heat illness. It is widely used to determine safe temperatures for physical activity.
Zoom in: Ohio might never host the Olympics, yet these models have sobering implications for all future outdoor sports and recreation.
- Cleveland, especially, has become a hotbed for major sporting events over the past decade (albeit mostly indoors), including the Pan-American Masters Games earlier this month, NCAA Women's Final Four in April, 2022 NBA All-Star Game and 2019 MLB All-Star Game.
- The city will also host the first and second rounds of next year's NCAA Men's basketball tournament.
- Columbus hosted this year's MLS All-Star Game and another high-profile showdown between Manchester City and Chelsea, two teams from England's Premier League, is happening Aug. 3 at Ohio Stadium.
Zoom out: The next Summer Olympics will happen in the U.S., where the International Olympics Committee is already planning to implement heat protocols in Los Angeles.
- The U.S. also will be a host site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Read the full interactive project about how extreme heat is impacting the Olympics.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with further information about Columbus sporting events.