The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are in full swing, but according to one athlete, an event was ill-prepared for its players.
The organisers of the long-awaited competition must spend an awful lot of time meticulously planning every detail of the games as well as the resources it has for its athletes and visitors.
However, a Team GB tennis player has called them out for not thinking about the ‘poor’ conditions he’d have to play in.
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Tennis star Jack Draper criticised Olympic organisers after having to drink ‘hot water’ during his match against America's Taylor Fritz.
The 22-year-old Brit appeared visibly wilted as the game carried on, having initially played very well until the scorching heat became somewhat unbearable.
As temperatures soared over 30C in the French capital, the match ended with a 6-7 (3) 6-3 6-2 defeat for Draper.
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This year's Olympics, which aims to be more environmentally friendly, supplied tennis players with refillable bottles.
Because of this, Draper claims he couldn’t keep his water cold and was seen spending the changes of ends standing at a water fountain, instead of sitting on his chair to rest.
As per The Independent, Draper explained: “It was tough conditions, there’s no doubt about it.
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“I need to play more in this sort of heat, and obviously, going to America, I’ll get more used to that. It was really hot out there today.
“We were both trying our best to put out some good tennis. Part of it’s physicality but I said to the referee, it’s pretty poor that the players have to drink hot water when we’re playing in those conditions.”
The athlete said that to be fully replenished, the players need one thing.
He said: “It’s important we have good fridges to keep our water cool. It’s so tough to recover when you’re just not replenishing properly.
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“There’s no escape from the heat, even at the change of ends. I haven’t played in much hotter conditions than that. Your body starts to really fight against you.”
For the hot weather, unfortunately the threshold for the extreme weather policy wasn’t met until both players left the court, which could have allowed them to have a 10-minute break before a deciding set in singles.
However, Draper believes he should have had the right to cool water at the Olympics, explaining: “We shouldn’t have to fill our water up every change of ends, we need to sit down. It’s not good enough. I just think it’s pretty poor that they put the players through that on court.”
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Tyla has contacted representatives for the 2024 Paris Olympics for comment.
Team GB's current medal count - 13
Gold medallists
- Rosalind Canter, Laura Collett, Tom McEwen: Equestrian - Eventing team
- Tom Pidcock: Mountain Bike - Men's cross country
- Nathan Hales: Shooting - Men's trap
- Tom Dean, Kieran Bird, James Guy, Jack McMillan, Matthew Richards, Duncan Scott: Swimming - Men's 4x200m freestyle
Silver medallists
- Anna Henderson: Cycling - Women's individual time trial
- Adam Peaty: Swimming - Men's 100m breaststroke
- Tom Daley and Noah Williams: Diving - Men's synchronised 10m platform
- Adam Burgess: Canoe Slalom - Men's canoe single
- Matthew Richards: Swimming - Men's 200m freestyle
Bronze medallists
- Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen: Diving - Women's synchronised 3m springboard
- Kimberley Woods: Canoe - Women's slalom
- Laura Collett: Equestrian - Eventing individual
- Beth Potter: Women's triathlon
Britt Jones