With the Olympics being held in spring for only the third time, the weather would seem set to play a major role, particularly in athletics, the rowing and sailing events, and the likes of archery. The legal following wind in the sprint events is just over 7km an hour, not very much when you consider that forecasters say Sydney will experience, on average, three days in September with winds gusting at between 40 and 60km an hour. The long jump and triple jump are also affected, while the winds could play havoc with the throwing events, particularly the javelin. The Olympic stadium at Homebush is open to high winds, with the northerly breezes gusting around 40km an hour on average. Add that to the fact the stadium itself is fairly open and some of the times could be seriously affected, either for better or worse.
Athletes love to run with a tailwind.
Lock said the Australian athletes could even benefit from the wind, having already competed in it during the Olympic trials. Sailing and rowing events have rest days built in to the schedule, allowing them to be delayed or postponed because of dangerous conditions. Come rain or shine, the Opening Ceremony will take place as planned on September 15, with electrical storms the only thing that could stop it happening on time. Umbrellas are banned though, so if it does rain a week on Thursday, spectators will simply get wet. Welcome to Sydney in September.