Need
Elite athletes will compete in extreme heat more frequently as global warming and sport globalisation. In addition to longer heatwaves, air pollution episodes are on the increase. To protect athletes from the harmful impact of air pollution during competition, World Athletics the world governing body of Athletics track & field has committed to record air quality during all World Championships Events.
The aim of this project is to have real-time monitoring and data compilation over several weeks prior to the competition to identify site-specific pollution patterns but also their source. The goal in Budapest was to characterize the air quality in the warm-up stadium and to provide athlete communities with clear information and recommendations to minimise exposure to air pollutants and heat stress. Access to live data during the world championships was made possible by the development of a specific widget accessible via this link.
The Wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) measures heat stress in direct sunlight. It is a comprehensive measure of all the weather-related factors that impact the health and performance of athletes. Kunak was contracted to monitor heat stress with the development of a specific WBGT probe in conjunction with air pollutants.
