Paris Diamond League format shortened due to heatpublished at 12:34 Moscow time
Ben Collins
BBC Sport journalist
Image Source, Getty Images
Sunday’s Diamond League meeting in Paris will take place in an adapted format after local police asked all sporting events to be canceled due to the extreme heat.
Wednesday was the country’s hottest day on record, with a national average temperature of 30C, according to Meteo-France.
Emergency “red alert” measures have been put in place in the French capital, with temperatures forecast at 39°C in Paris on Saturday and 32°C on Sunday.
On Friday, Paris police issued a statement “prohibiting all sporting competitions and events in Paris” and warned organizers that “if they refuse, the prefect of police will ban them by decree.”
The Diamond League released a statement saying the Paris police prefecture had agreed to hold the event on 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 the Charlety Stadium will only feature competitions involving professional athletes. All events for sports clubs and licensed members, as well as regional competitions, have been cancelled.