Reading time 3 minThe organization of the Diamond League Herculis EBS IAAF has decided to go forward with its project on air quality.
For the first time in the history of athletics, real stadium air quality data will be broadcast live.
The Diamond League will take place today, Friday, July 12 at the Luis II Stadium in Monaco.
Under the IAAF project to monitor air quality on certified tracks,The Stadium Louis II was the first one to install a Kunak Air device. Today, the IAAF in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment of Monaco, the Athletics Federation Monesca (FMA) and the Louis II Stadium; will broadcast the air quality data in real time.
Both athletes and spectators will be able to access the data through the event website: Click here to access the event website.
IAAF project on air quality
The IAAF continues to move forward in its air quality project, a silent killer that kills around 7 million people every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Since the launch of the Clean Air Campaign of the IAAF / Environment of the United Nations (UNEP), Monaco has held several events:
- July 20, 2018: IAAF carries out a bidding process for the air quality monitoring device at the Luis II Stadium
- September 17, 2018: the first Kunak Air air quality monitoring device is installed. A milestone event that brings togetherthe president of the IAAF, Sebastian Coe, the former representative of the United Nations for the Environment, Fanny Demassieux, and the member of the IAAF, Sylvia Barlag, Prince Albert II of HSH.
- June 5, 2019: in the scenario of the World Environmental Day, the Principality becomes a member of the BreatheLife City campaign. Together with other partners and WHO, the campaign focuses on inspiring cities to take concrete steps to clean up the air we breathe by 2030.
- June 13, 2019: IAAF installs the second air monitoring device at the Luis II Stadium.
- July 12, 2019: the Herculis EBS event will broadcast the stadium’s air quality data live.
Sport, air quality, performance and health
An athlete who runs at 70% of the maximum oxygen consumption during a marathon (approximately three hours) inhales the same volume of air as a sedentary person in two days. Regardless of discipline, we can not ignore the countless hours dedicated to training and competing. By choosing to share air quality data at the Stade Louis II, the FMA and the IAAF demonstrate their commitment to transparency in this domain. An act that will encourage other events to share data of this type.
“The activity of the athletes occurs mainly on the track and each stadium is different,” said Miguel Escribano, Director of Business Development at Kunak.
The IAAF is carrying out a project on air quality in different tracks that will allow its health and science department to study the correlation between air quality and athlete performance.
Future campaigns on air quality monitoring
Sebastian Coe, IAAF President, says that air quality will be an important factor for cities to participate in IAAF events and hopes that by revealing data on air quality, more cities will take measures for health and the well-being of athletes and their local communities.
Christiana Figueres, former head of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, praised the IAAF for its clean air campaign. In addition, he urged Tokyo 2020 to follow suit and install air quality monitoring devices at all venues of the upcoming Summer Olympics. This appeal illustrates his belief that sport has to promote environmental awareness. It shows how Monaco, through the support of HSH Prince Albert II, is taking athletics to the forefront of respect for health in air quality.
Access the full information about the event and the news on the IAAF website.
More information about the IAAF project.
