After years of dedication and sacrifice, the least the Olympic athletes deserved in Paris this summer was proper facilities to help them achieve glory.
Instead, they found the exact opposite.
Over the weekend, American tennis star Coco Gauff revealed that her entire team had become the latest athletes to flee an Olympic village that appears to be doing more harm than good nearly a week into the 2024 Games.
Gauff, 20, posted a candid TikTok video exposing the shocking conditions Olympians endure inside the new $1.6 billion facility, with the US Open champion forced to share a bathroom with 10 of her countrymen before five of them packed up and left.
The American women’s tennis stars are not the first athletes to leave the Olympic village this summer, and given the wide range of complaints coming in, they are unlikely to be the last.
Coco Gauff revealed over the weekend that her US teammates have left the Olympic Village
The organizers of the Paris Games were determined to make these the most sustainable Olympics ever, prioritizing a green approach in almost every area.
However, this aggressive focus on being environmentally friendly has resulted in atrocious conditions for competitors striving for greatness in the French capital, meaning world records have been few and far between until now.
None of the rooms have air conditioning, creating uncomfortably stifling temperatures, and all are fitted with standard cardboard beds.
American gymnast Frederick Richard was even forced to send his own mattress to the Paris villa because the beds on offer were so poor.
“Everyone complains about the beds and all that,” he said last week. “I already ordered my bed and had it delivered here. I had a comfortable bed from the start.”
Those who don’t think ahead like Richard have no choice but to rest on cardboard as they pursue their Olympic dreams.
Gauff, 20, posted a candid video on TikTok that exposed the shocking conditions Olympic athletes endure inside the new $1.6 billion facility.
Not all rooms have air conditioning, resulting in uncomfortably stifling temperatures.
Plus, they’re all equipped with those typical cardboard beds that make for a painful night’s sleep.
And if a hot, painful night’s sleep wasn’t bad enough, the food offered to athletes is said to be 60 percent vegan, making it extremely difficult for those living on meat-based diets to achieve optimal fitness.
To make matters worse, the Olympic Village was hit by a food shortage just one day after the opening ceremony.
French publication L’Equipe reported that vital items such as eggs and grilled meats had to be rationed at breakfast on Saturday, with some complaining about the measly portions.
Egg shortage was thought to be the biggest concern as they form a crucial part of most athletes’ diets due to their high protein and good fat content, as well as several nutrients and minerals.
Australian pool queen Ariarne Titmus has been feeling drained at the Games, with the three-time swimming gold medallist lashing out at the “ridiculous” conditions she believes thwarted her bid to set a world record in the 400m freestyle on Saturday.
“It probably wasn’t the moment I thought I was capable of, but living in the Olympic Village makes it difficult to perform,” Titmus admitted in an interview on Sunday.
“It’s definitely not built for high performance, so it’s about who can really hold it together in the mind.”
The Olympic Village was also hit by food shortages just one day after the opening ceremony.
Vegan replacements have been offered to athletes such as a ‘not dog’ (pictured) which is made from plant-based materials.
Retired Australian swimmer James Magnussen (pictured) says the eco-friendly and vegan mindset in Paris is ruining athletes’ chances of breaking records.
The dire conditions are stifling Olympic stars’ bid to make history, and retired Australian swimmer James Magnussen has criticised Paris officials for damaging the quality of the spectacle.
“The lack of world records is due to this ecological, carbon footprint and vegan mentality rather than high performance,” Magnussen said.
‘They had a letter saying that 60 percent of the 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 that so many athletes would choose the meat and dairy options over the vegan-friendly ones.
‘The caterer had to readjust their numbers and bring in more of those products because, surprise, surprise, world-class athletes don’t have vegan diets. They must have seen the Netflix documentary Game Changers and assumed they were all the same. But let me tell you, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Roger Federer, none of those guys are on a vegan diet.’
Furthermore, there is no VIP treatment for athletes when they head to events.
Public transport must be used to get to stadiums, arenas, velodromes and more, meaning competitors will have already undertaken hot and hectic journeys before arriving at the Games.
Athletes are also forced to travel to events on their own using overcrowded public transport.
Six South Korean swimmers have left the Olympic Village and moved to a hotel near the swimming stadium to avoid the long journey on hot buses, the president of the Korean Swimming Federation (KSF) said.
KSF President Chong Chang-hoon said swimmers from the men’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay team have moved into a hotel that is a five-minute walk from the Paris La Defense Arena, where the swimming events will be held.
Chong received complaints that buses used by swimmers to get to the venue did not have air conditioning and the windows were taped shut. The Olympic village is nearly 12km from the swimming venue.
“We just want to make sure they’re at least a little bit more comfortable,” Chong said.
As we approach the end of the Games, more and more athletes are likely to flee the village to increase their chances of victory in the French capital.
The residential complex that will host this summer’s Olympics could become a ghost town when it comes to an end.