ZHANGJIAKOU, China — As
Winter Paralympians prepare to
return home from Beijing, many fear the effects of climate change in their
countries and how a lack of snowfall could inhibit training for the
Milano-Cortina Games in 2026.
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When she should have been skiing during Norway's traditional
snow season last winter,
Birgit Skarstein was still rowing a scull boat on
lakes that usually freeze over.
The Paralympian, who rows at summer games and skis at the
winter edition, says she is on the frontline of observing the effects of
climate change in Norway.
"This year I wasn't able to ski on really good tracks
until the end of January," Skarstein told AFP, adding that normally the
natural snowfall comes in November.
"I was hunting mountain tops. Over November, December,
January I was moving from mountain top to mountain top to find snow and it was
only artificial snow."
With temperatures rising globally, the 33-year-old cautions
about the future of snow sports.
"Everybody who loves snow and everybody who loves
winter sports should care about climate change," she said.
"We were rowing until New Year's… it was crazy,"
she says, pointing out that venues for winter-sport training are becoming
increasingly scarce.
Both natural snowfall and the amount of water available for
artificial snow are diminishing around the world, said Climate Council of
Australia research director Dr Martin Rice.
"In fact, of the 21 venues used for the
Winter Olympic Games since 1924 and Paralympic Games since 1976, only 10 will have the
'climate suitability' and natural snowfall levels to host an event by
2050," he told AFP.
Athletes in t-shirts
At the
Beijing Winter Paralympics, Nordic, and alpine skiing
events have taken place on slopes using only artificial snow.
Some athletes even wore t-shirts as they plowed through the
slushy snow as temperatures reached up to six degrees above freezing at
Wednesday's cross-country skiing event at
Zhangjiakou.
"You pull and you feel like you're stuck in glue,"
said Skarstein, who raced in short sleeves.
Paralympians recalled they had endured similar
warm conditions at PyeongChang 2018 and Sochi 2014
International Paralympic Committee President
Andrew Parsons
said organizers were aware of the growing impact of climate change —
particularly increased heat and issues with snow quality.
"How this impacts on the Paralympic
Winter Games is
something that we have to monitor," he told AFP.
"We need to offer the best conditions for the athletes
and the best experience," he said.
The Olympic and Paralympic movements are conscious of their
carbon footprints.
The
International Olympic Committee announced it will cut
its direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030.
It will also require Games to be "climate
positive" from 2030.
Preparation impact
Canadian
Brian McKeever, 42 — who has been competing in
visually impaired cross-country skiing at Paralympic level since Salt Lake City
in 2002 — has noticed the changes in snow patterns.
"We've definitely seen the snow being slightly
different. March-April used to be some of our biggest snowfall periods but it
doesn't do that as much anymore," McKeever told AFP, adding "roof
rattling" winds at Canmore, a town in Alberta's Rocky Mountains have
stepped up in the past five years.
Raging wildfires last year also affected training.
"We had to travel because of the forest fires in
British Columbia — lots of smoke. And it's hard on the lungs," McKeever's
guide Russell Kennedy told AFP.
Team USA's Kendall Gretsch — who won gold, silver and bronze
in the women's sitting biathlon this week — said athletes were forced to train
for longer in Canada because there was no snow in Montana where they usually
have camps.
"Where we typically train in the winter we've had
probably the least amount of snow we've ever had," she told AFP.
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