The Olympic Village is getting a lot of criticism because a gold medalist was found sleeping next to a park bench. You’d think that staying in special housing made just for top Olympians would be something all the athletes would be excited about.
Gold medalist Thomas Ceccon had some strong complaints about the living conditions at the Olympic Village. Even though he won two medals this week, he called the accommodations āsubpar.ā It seems he thought sleeping outside was better than dealing with a cardboard bed, so he took a nap on the ground instead.
In a photo, you can see Ceccon asleep on a white towel spread out on the grass under a tree, next to a bench. Husein Alireza, a rower from Saudi Arabia, took the picture and posted it on Instagram, tagging it as the Olympic Village.
The 23-year-old swimmer has been outspoken about the poor conditions at the Olympic Village since his loss in the 200m backstroke final on July 31. He told reporters that thereās no air conditioning, itās really hot, and the food isnāt good. He said many athletes are unhappy because of these conditions, and heās disappointed he didnāt make the final because he was too tired. He usually naps in the afternoon at home, but heās having trouble sleeping here because of the heat and noise.
The Italian swimming federation had to clarify that the video of Ceccon sleeping isnāt related to his complaints about the Olympic Village.
The news agency ANSA said Cecconās nap was just a quick rest and noted that the video was taken during the day. But Ceccon isnāt the only one unhappy with the Olympic Village.
Coco Gauff from Team USA mentioned that one of her tennis teammates left because the rooms were too small. French swimmer Assia Touati said they didnāt have air conditioning in the bedroom until it got too hot, and Australian water polo player Matilda Kearns said she had to get a massage to fix the damage from sleeping on the Olympic Village mattress.
So maybe sleeping on the grass isnāt such a bad idea after all? UNILAD has reached out to Thomas Cecconās management team for more information.
