Cardboard beds to food shortages: How 2024 Paris Olympic Village is forcing athletes to flee to hotels

PARIS, FRANCE: Organizers of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games had high hopes about their climate-conscious and sustainable approach to the multi-sport event, however, some decisions, particularly those concerning the Olympic Village, seem to have backfired, as many athletes have had to flee to hotels. 

USA tennis star Coco Gauff and her teammates were the latest to leave the Olympic Village exhausted by the shocking conditions they had to endure.

In a candid TikTok video, she exposed the situation of the brand-new $1.6 billion facility where she had to share a bathroom with ten other athletes. However, the American tennis team was not the first to exit the Olympic Village since the game kickstarted on Friday, July 26, and they might not be the last as concerns regarding the conditions continue to grow. 

Organizers' sustainable approach with cardboard beds backfires

The organizers' aggressive focus on eco-friendly approaches over the comfort of athletes has raised eyebrows. 

The rooms at the Olympic Village lack air conditioners despite the extreme temperature in Paris, leading some athletes to bring their own portable AC units. To make matters worse, the athletes have to sleep on uncomfortable cardboard beds.

US gymnast Frederick Richard had to ship his mattress to Paris to overcome the predicament. 

"Everyone's complaining about beds and stuff. I ordered my bed already, shipped it here. I had a comfy bed from the start," said the gymnast, as per Daily Mail. 

The athletes who did not foresee the conditions are forced to rest their bodies on cardboard beds and dream of winning an Olympic medal.

Vegan-oriented food options concern athletes

After tossing and turning on the wonky cardboard beds, athletes who depend on meat-heavy diets were left concerned because the food provided at the village is reportedly 60 percent vegan.

Moreover, according to the French daily L'Equipe, the Olympic Village met with a food shortage on Saturday, leading to the rationing of vital foods like eggs and grilled meats for breakfast. Some athletes filed complaints since a high protein, good fast diet is required for peak performance. 

Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus believes the "ridiculous" circumstances cost her bid for a new world record in 400m freestyle on Saturday.

"It probably wasn't the time I thought I was capable of, but living in the Olympic Village makes it hard to perform," said the three-time gold medalist in an interview, adding, "It's definitely not made for high performance, so it's about who can really keep it together in the mind."

Retired Australian swimmer James Magnussen also criticized the organizers, claiming the dire conditions were the reason behind fewer world records. He remarked, "The lack of world records boils down to this whole eco-friendly, carbon footprint, vegan-first mentality rather than high performance." 

"They had a charter that said 60 percent of food in the village had to be vegan friendly and the day before the opening ceremony they ran out of meat and dairy options in the village because they hadn't anticipated so many athletes would be choosing the meat and dairy options over the vegan-friendly ones," mentioned Magnussen.

The swimmer further added that the caterer had to rearrange and provide more non-vegan products because world-class athletes did not follow a vegan diet.

He further stated, "They must have watched the Netflix doco Game Changers and assumed everyone was the same. But let me tell you, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Roger Federer — none of those guys are on a vegan diet." 

Athletes have to endure long commutes in hot and stuffy buses

Besides the food situation, the athletes have to rely on public transport to reach the stadiums and arenas, exhausting themselves with commutes in the stuffy temperature before their games.

According to Korea Swimming Federation (KSF) president Chong Chang-hoon, six South Korean swimmers shifted to a hotel near their game venue to avoid commutes in the stuffy weather.

He claimed the male swimmers from the 4x200m freestyle relay team had left the Olympic village and were now staying at a hotel just a five-minute walk from the Paris La Defense Arena, where the swimming events are being held.

The Olympic Village is around 7.5 miles (12 km) from the swimming venue. 

"We just want to make sure they will be at least a bit more comfortable," said the KSF president, noting that the buses used by the swimmers lacked air-conditioning and had taped-up windows.