US athletes find support online after Coco Gauff reveals why teammates are not staying at Olympic Village

PARIS, FRANCE: Coco Gauff has disclosed that she is the sole member of the American women's tennis team remaining in the Olympic Village while her teammates have relocated to a hotel, the DailyMail reported.

In an open and honest TikTok video shared on Saturday, July 27, the 20-year-old revealed the living conditions experienced by athletes in the newly constructed $1.6 billion facility, highlighting the challenge of 10 women sharing only two bathrooms.

The video, which showed several Team USA members preparing for the first day of events at the 2024 Paris Games, revealed the chaotic environment as they styled their hair, applied makeup, and got dressed.

Gauff captioned the post, “10 girls, two bathrooms #olympicvillage,” prompting numerous comments about the apparent tight quarters.

Coco Gauff on athletes' living quarters at 2024 Paris Olympics

Coco Gauff said that she is having a great time inside the village, where thousands of athletes from across the globe will stay for the next two weeks.

"Well it's only 5 girls now so I have the room alone. Roommates are very chill. I love it," she said.

This comes after the Australian Olympic Committee upset swimmers by informing them that they could only stay in the Olympic Village for 48 hours after their events before having to either return home or find their lodging in Paris.

Meanwhile, Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns and her teammate Gabi Palm have publicly criticized the village's cardboard bed frames.

Kearns wrote on social media, "Already had a massage to undo the damage," with Palm adding, "My back is about to fall off."

Team USA's Olympic Village Director Daniel Smith previously informed the People magazine that athletes can decide whether they want to stay in the Village or not.

Several high-profile athletes, including LeBron James and Stephen Curry from the men's basketball team, are opting to stay off-site in luxury accommodations.

"If a sport decides not to stay in [the village], they have to find their own arrangements in terms of where they're going to stay, and make their own hotel contracts," Smith stated earlier this week.

"A challenge with that is that basically you're outside of the bubble at that point and Paris 2024 won't provide you transportation from your specific hotel," he claimed.

"All of the meals, all of those additional pieces that come along with logistics that athletes in the Village get, you stay out and all of that is on you," Smith added.

Unlike the majority of the infrastructure used during the 2024 Games, the Olympic Village was specifically constructed to accommodate over 10,000 athletes.

After the event, the area will be developed into a residential and commercial neighborhood.

Earlier this week, Gauff joined LeBron James as one of the American flag bearers during the opening ceremony.

"I never thought in a million years I would have the honor of carrying the American flag for Team USA in the opening ceremony," the Grand Slam winner said in a statement.

"I could not be more proud to lead my teammates with LeBron as we showcase our dedication and passion on the biggest stage there is,” she remarked.

Internet rallies behind US athletes amid pathetic living conditions at Paris Olympic Village

In the comments section of the article, readers lambasted the authorities in charge of constructing the $1.6 billion Olympic Village in Paris, where athletes from around the world have to share bathrooms and sleep on cardboard beds.

One person asked, “I'd like to hear what athletes who've been to several Olympics have to say about the accommodations. How do they compare to what they've seen the other years they competed?"

Another said, "Olympic Games are a boondoggle now with billions of wasteful expenditure. Every country hosting the games have lost billions and overspent several times more than their original budget. Tokyo spent $28 billions for 2020 games. For 2024, there were only 2 remaining bids (Paris and LA), and IOC awarded 2024 to Paris and 2028 to LA. At this point, nobody wants to host them other than countries that want to score a political point."

One individual wrote, "Though respecting many of the skills, endurance, and gladiatorial efforts of many of the participants, I strongly feel that the Olympic Games is far too politicised and manipulated nowadays to be expected to be on anything like an equalised playing field. All strength to those who honestly make the grade and live the dream."

Another argued, "All athletes should be mandated to stay in the village! How is it fair that professional millionaire US basketball and tennis players etc can stay in 5 star hotels while either true amateurs or low paid athletes stay at the village?"

One reader remarked, "There is no Air condition in the athletes bedroom. They call it fighting for climate change , it is more like mismanagement of funds." 

"Heard the beds though sturdy were really uncomfortable so the Australian team went and got plush mattress toppers to make them more comfortable. Maybe not spending so much on the over the top Opening Ceremony and purchasing quality mattresses would have been a better use of euros," another suggested. 

One individual wrote, "I don’t know what 90% of you seem to think Olympic athletes are, but the vast majority are not super wealthy. It’s why you see mom and dad sobbing in the bleachers or at the fences. The sacrifices, years of robbing Peter to pay Paul to make sure that athlete had the best gear or money to travel.

"It only gets more expensive the better they get. It’s very late in the game that National governing bodies come in with full ride or pro contracts. Mortgage payments that were late because that kid made the US or Australian or UK World Championship team and they have to come up with thousands of dollars to get them to the next event to level up into what ultimately gets them here, to the Olympics. Those tears are not just because they’re proud. It’s because they’ve been on the journey too and it’s been so very very hard in every way, financially and otherwise," the person added.

Another stated, "The organizers must have spent a fortune for the Opening Ceremony on global celebrities visiting incl the superstar singers performing. The real stars should have been the sports people who came here to compete but unfortunately they are treated just as peasants and even given cardboard boxes disguise as beds to sleep. Nothing new under the french sun i suppose !"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.