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freezing in the finals?

Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 11:32 am
by toddinjax
Just a question out of curiosity. I've watched a few ISSF 10m pistol videos on youtube. These are world class competitors in the international arena of an Olympic sport. You can't help but notice that the shooters and audience are wearing heavy winter clothing & look like it's freezing! Some of the shooters have thick down jackets, pulled down (rather uncomfortably looking) around their shooting arm. Tha audience is zipped up and hatted. How in the world could they not heat a building for competitors at the highest level of the sport? I've seen this more than once and I think it makes the sport look "unimportant" for lack of a better term.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ1onVRGjVw

Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 1:20 pm
by David Levene
To be fair, whilst it was designated as a World Cup that match was really just a test event to ensure that the facility, equipment, staff and organisation were ready to run the Olympics and Paralympics.

It was a temporary building, as were all of the ranges, designed to be used during a London summer, not 3 months earlier.

The finals hall was massive and there just wasn't any way it was going to be adequately heated.

Having said that, we were particularly unlucky with the weather. Late April normally needs about 3 layers of clothing to be comfortably warm. Range officering on the 25m range I was wearing seven layers of upper-body clothing, together with my built in insulation, and was still shivering.

Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 2:35 pm
by Spencer
David Levene wrote:...The finals hall was massive and there just wasn't any way it was going to be adequately heated...
Depends on how much money you throw at it.

Atlanta range was air conditioned for 1996 - easy for the indoor 10m, but no so easy for the outdoor 25m and 50m/Finals ranges.
The air conditioning units were MASSIVE.

Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:14 am
by RobStubbs
As David says we were just unlucky with the weather, although at it's best it's still unpredictable in the UK. Not only was it cold, but also pretty wet. It took me a couple of hours to dry out and I had the luxury of being able to access the team officials areas (which were slightly heated).

Rob.

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 9:04 am
by FrankD
Our hero!

Sorry, couldn't resist.


Regards from good cold Germany

Frank