ANTIGONISH, N.S. - Athletes from across the country have been sidelined as a steady stream of hot weather brings temperatures too high for outdoor competitions.
The 2018 Special Olympics are underway in Antigonish, N.S. but for the second day in a row, competitions have been postponed until after 4 p.m. when the heat starts to subside.
“The weather's been fantastic but so good we been forced to move some scheduling around for the athlete's safety and move some track events to the evening,” said Games Co-Chair, Marc Champoux.
Additional medical stations have been set up at each sporting venue in order to monitor the athletes, Medial Chair Andrew Heighton says many of these athletes are of high risk of being negatively impacted by the heat.
“This population is at risk with the medications they might be on and the understanding of keeping hydrated and resting," he says.
"They're so excited they have to be reminded to take a break,” Heighton adds.
Organizers have also brought in plenty of water to keep the participating 1,400 athletes and coaches going through the heat.
The week-long event wraps up tomorrow, and despite the delays the competitions were able to continue. Organizers say overall the games have been a great success.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Marie Adsett.
