100 days to go: ParalympicsGB get ready for the Tokyo heat

The heat is on in more ways than one for GB’s Paralympians with 100 days to go until Tokyo 2020.

ParalympicsGB’s preparation for the 16th edition of the summer Games is reaching its crucial final stages, with the opening ceremony set for 24 August.

Tokyo is going to be a very different Paralympics for all athletes for many reasons - including the heat and humidity, that will see athletes compete at one of the hottest Games on record.

As a result, athletes like triathlete Claire Cashmore, who has won medals at four Paralympic Games as a swimmer, have been making use of a state-of-the-art heat chamber that replicates 30 degree heat and 70% humidity.

It’s fair to say Cashmore and her support team at the English Institute of Sport (EIS), ParalympicsGB and British Triathlon are leaving no stone unturned in preparing her for the Games.

Collaborating with experts like Dr Tom Paulson, Head of Paralympic Performance Support and EIS Physiologist Ben Stephenson, who works with British Triathlon, Cashmore is supremely confident in the system behind her.

“I’ve not had much experience of racing in high heat, I’ve only done it twice,” she said.

“It’s about not overcooking it and being prepared. You have to know how hard you can go in those crazy environments, it’s quite easy to go full gas and completely blow up.

“You have to be aware of the environment, how harsh it is and preparing for it as well as you possibly can.

“We’re really lucky to have a forward-thinking team, always thinking of new innovations and how we can be the best prepared team out there.

“It’s about what we can do to stand on the start line knowing we’re the best prepared and they do everything they can to support us in that sense.

“They take away a lot of that stress and make sure we can be there.”

Stephenson and a 23-person team in the EIS physiology department run regular ‘beat the heat’ tolerance tests that act as a formal assessment of how athletes adapt to heat and humidity.

Athletes swallow a gastrointestinal pill the night before the test which allows physiologists to wirelessly measure their temperature.

They also measure skin temperature, heart rate, sweat rate and perception, which is a key indicator of potential performance.

Stephenson said: “In triathlon, we’d expect temperatures to be 30 degrees and humidity is going to be high, that’s the key. We could get up to 80% humidity.

“We’re not just looking at getting a few more percent out of athletes in performance, because there is a real health risk involved with Paralympic athletes in heat. We’re trying to get a broad view in terms of how we can support sports.”

The collaboration between the EIS and ParalympicsGB is led by Head of Paralympic Performance Support Tom Paulson.

His role is to ensure these services - including jetlag preparation and heat and humidity training - are delivered smoothly in Tokyo and Paulson is optimistic about the prospects of ParalympicsGB.

“It’s a really exciting time with 100 days to go,” he said.

“All the work we’ve done has put us in a great position, even though we’ve had an unprecedented year.

“Our athletes have still been able to maintain their health, maintain some kind of training and use the experiences they’ve had to prepare as best as possible in the summer.”