Sunday’s Diamond League meeting in Paris will go ahead in an adapted format after local police asked for all sporting events to be cancelled because of extreme heat.
Wednesday was the country’s hottest day on record, according to Meteo-France, with an average national temperature of 30C.
Emergency “red alert” measures have been implemented in the French capital, with a high of 39C having been forecast for Paris on Saturday and 32C on Sunday.
On Friday, Paris police issued a statement “prohibiting all sporting competitions and events in Paris” and warned organisers that “should they refuse, the Prefect of Police will prohibit them by decree”.
The Diamond League has now issued a statement saying that the Paris Police Prefecture has agreed for the event to go ahead with an adjusted schedule, while “an exceptional set of measures has been put in place to mitigate the effects of the extreme heat”.
Sunday’s meeting at Stade Charlety will only feature competitions involving professional athletes. All activities for athletics clubs and licensed members, as well as regional competitions, have been cancelled.
The measures for the Diamond League meeting include:
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Delaying the opening of the stadium gates to the public until 16:15 CEST
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Adjusting the competition schedule so that all events take place from 16:55-19:41
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Reinforcing medical and emergency response services
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Providing additional drinking water stations, misting stations, and shaded areas
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Implementing further public information and heat prevention measures
The Diamond League statement added: “Since the beginning of this extreme weather event, the French Athletics Federation has been closely monitoring the situation in constant coordination with government authorities.
“The safety of athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials, spectators, and all staff involved remains our highest priority.”
Matthew Hudson-Smith (400m), Jeremiah Azu (100m), Ben Pattison (800m) and Jake Wightman (1500m) are among the British male athletes set to compete, while Georgia Hunter Bell and Katie Snowden are due to race in the women’s 1500m.
Other events scheduled to take place in Paris this weekend include Saturday’s Top 14 rugby final between Toulouse and Montpellier (21:05 CEST).
No alcohol sales will be permitted around or inside the Stade de France while the under-17 final scheduled for 17:30 has been cancelled.
Sunday’s Diamond League event will be broadcast live on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and the BBC website and app (from 17:00 BST).
