Whether an elite international tournament or a local amateur sport, sport has always been closely connected to weather and the course of the seasons. Yet rising temperatures, extreme weather events and changing environmental conditions caused by climate change are not only deeply affecting global sport - from how it is played to how it is organised and sustained - but are beginning to reshape it.
As climate change accelerates, the stability on which sport naturally depends is disappearing.
In the first six months of this year alone, numerous reports of climate-affected sports and tournaments have made the crisis more visible. During a match at the Roland-Garros tennis tournament in Paris last month, Czech player Jakub Menšík collapsed on court after a five-set match. Temperatures reached 32°C even though the tournament took place in May. Menšík described playing in those conditions as "madness".
At the Australian Open, held in Melbourne from 18 January to 1 February, temperatures above 40°C prompted use of the extreme-heat protocol. Matches on outside courts were suspended, roofs on the main courts were closed and some matches continued indoors. Before the 2026 Los Angeles Marathon in March, runners were told that they could "finish the race at mile 18" because of dangerous heat.
Winter Sports Are Extremely Vulnerable
Cycling is one of the sports most affected by extreme heat. The famous Tour de France, held since 1903 and traditionally staged in July, may be moved to a cooler month as temperatures rise.
The climate crisis also left its mark on the Winter Olympics held in northern Italy in February. Skiers competed on far more artificial snow than in the past. Snow depth across the continent is declining by approximately 12% each decade, and 265 ski resorts had closed in Italy alone by 2025.
The World Economic Forum's Sport for People and Planet report, published at the beginning of the year, illustrates the situation starkly. It finds that the number of countries capable of hosting the Olympic Games will decline as a result of the climate crisis and that, by 2040, only ten countries will be able to host the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Athletes Are Deeply Concerned
The effects of climate change on sport appeared repeatedly during the first six months of 2026, and a warning was also issued regarding the FIFA World Cup matches to be played in June. A new analysis noted that one-third of matches at the tournament hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States would be played in scorching heat and high humidity because of climate change, and that existing stadiums were not suited to these conditions.
Athletes are well aware of the challenges. A survey of 400 athletes at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest found that one-third had been directly affected by climate change. Seventy-seven per cent said they were "very concerned" or "extremely concerned" about the climate crisis, and 83% said the same of air pollution.
Ninety per cent of athletes also said that World Athletics should play an important role in building a more sustainable future.
Prolonged training and competition in high temperatures increase the risk of heatstroke, dehydration and cardiovascular stress, while poor air quality adversely affects respiratory function and recovery. Outdoor sports such as athletics, football, tennis and cycling are coming under greater physiological strain, altering performance and increasing withdrawals from competition for health reasons.
Psychological pressures, including uncertainty over event cancellations and concerns about long-term health, place an additional burden on athletes.
Adaptation Plans Are Urgently Needed
These realities make it essential to develop new policies that anticipate the consequences of climate change and help sport adapt to new conditions. Such policies can support sound assessment both of climate change's effects on sport and of sporting activities' effects on the environment and climate.
Scenarios aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement must be developed, supported by regular analysis, appropriate recommendations and preventive measures.
It is increasingly unacceptable for sporting activity and performance to come at the expense of human life. National adaptation plans for sport are urgently needed. Greater use of indoor facilities, seasonal rescheduling of races and competitions, and more events held at night or early in the morning will become unavoidable.
Health monitoring of athletes' heat tolerance will also become increasingly important.
Designing sports facilities to be more climate-resilient will be equally significant. Sports organisations have major responsibilities and must begin taking every necessary measure now, from rescheduling events and building sustainable infrastructure to reducing carbon emissions at the same time.
The good news is that we are undergoing a transformation driven by growing awareness of how climate change and environmental problems affect our lives. This applies not only to everyday life, but also to athletes, supporters, consumers, brands, institutions, organisers and governments. As climate impacts intensify, the world of sport, like every other area of life, is at a crossroads.
Sport can either continue with "business as usual", interrupted by growing delays and cancellations, or become part of a transformation towards resilience and sustainability. The decisions taken from today onwards will largely determine whether sport remains a sustainable, fair and inspiring activity for future generations.
15 June 2026
