Mosquitos and the Olympic Games

For the Rio 2016 Olympics, if the local news wasn’t focused on pollution in Guanabara Bay, it was warning about the mosquito-borne virus Zika. And now, France is racing to stop virus-carrying tiger mosquitoes from disrupting the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Over the last 20 years, the Asian tiger mosquito has established itself in various parts of Europe, including France, posing a significant health risk by transmitting diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. With the Paris Games just four months away, experts warn that a bite from a tiger mosquito could jeopardise an athlete’s ability to compete.

Didier Fontenille, an entomologist, and expert on vector-borne diseases, said: “If you have dengue, you’re not going to jump over any hurdles. The host cities and especially the Olympic Village must be kept mosquito-free.” – Full report

Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Program*:
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7 (41)
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6 (41)
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470 (19)
Men’s Skiff – 49er (20)
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX (20)
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class (20)
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class (20)
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL (24)
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL (24)
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17 (19)
* Quota per event in parenthesis but does not include Universality Places (2 men, 2 women)

Venue: Marseille, France
Dates: July 28-August 9

Details:
• Paris website: https://www.paris2024.org/en/the-olympic-games-paris-2024/
• World Sailing microsite: https://paris2024.sailing.org/