5 High-Temperature Sporting Events
(CBS) Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and Spurs last night didn't quite go as planned, with the air conditioning in the AT&T Center malfunctioning and temperatures reaching around 90 degrees on the court. The heat was so bad that it forced LeBron James to miss more than half the fourth quarter with cramps, helping the way for the Spurs to take control down the stretch and win the opener.
Here's five other sporting events that feature competition in some of the hottest temperatures you can imagine. At least these temperatures are expected, though.
Australian Open
No tennis tournament tests players quite like the first major of the season, as its held in the oppressive summer heat in Melbourne. There's an "extreme heat policy" for the tournament that uses heat stress index to gauge whether play should continue, but it's hardly a respite. Players must to their greatest depths to win it, as the daytime thermometer often powers into triple digits -- including in January 2014, when it reached 110 degrees and caused a delay. They even tried to fry an egg on the court there (seriously).
Ironman World Championship
Many high-profile marathons and triathlons are contested in locations and on dates that aren't prone to high temperatures. Not the Ironman World Championship, though. It's held in Hawaii in October, which means it's still mid-80s on average and can easily scoot into the 90s. That's pretty brutal for a race that consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.
Scottsdale Beat the Heat race
Purposely held midday in the middle of the summer in Arizona, the Scottsdale Beat the Heat race bills itself as the "hottest race on earth." It's an 11-kilometer run, and last year all runners had to sign a waiver to participate. Three people were taken to the hospital in 2013. Temperatures regularly reach 105 degrees or more.
Soccer in Qatar
They play soccer in the summer in Qatar, where temperatures can reach around 120 degrees. At least one player died in 2013, a tragedy that may have been tied to the heat. They'll hold the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 -- mercifully, it will be in the winter, but it still figures to be toasty.
Baseball in Texas
Baseball's dog days of summer mean battling through heat all over the country, but nowhere is it as bad as in Texas. The Rangers have been host to the four hottest games in MLB history, with the record being a pair of 109-degree days in which games were played in the 1980s.
