Emily Kaplan, ESPNJul 30, 2024, 08:21 PM ET
PARIS -- After the first weekend of the Olympics, Coco Gauff's tennis teammates were dropping out. Not of competition, but the Olympic athlete village. According to the U.S. women's flag bearer, just two days after the Opening Ceremonies, most of her American tennis teammates have checked into hotels.
"I'm the only one really [left at the village]," Gauff said. "Like, at first I was going to move, and then when I kept meeting all these amazing athletes staying in the village, and then Rafa [Nadal] is staying in the village. So I was like, if he can do it, I can do it. But I understand why my teammates left."
It's a classic conundrum for Olympic athletes. The village, a cluster of dorms for thousands of athletes from across the world, is an unparalleled opportunity for camaraderie and community building. But it's not necessarily conducive for competitors who rely on routine and have one opportunity to perform at their best.
With a keen eye on environmental sustainability, Olympic organizers in Paris are trying to do right by the world. The beds are 100% recyclable cardboard, the food is locally sourced, and instead of air conditioning, the rooms feature geothermal cooling systems. While some athletes cherish every second of the experience, others find the environment less than ideal.
That's especially true for those who play professionally. The U.S. men's basketball team has been staying at hotels since 1992.
A USA Tennis spokesperson did not respond for comment when asked how many of its athletes left, and why, though Emma Navarro admitted to reporters that she had issues with the beds -- which became internet legend -- and said she had had a hard time sleeping since arriving.
It's not just the highest-profile (or highest-paid) athletes who are lodging complaints.
Over the first weekend, Australian water polo player Matilda Kearns posted to social media that she "already had a massage to undo the damage" from sleeping on the mattress -- which is billed as having varying levels of firmness. U.S. men's gymnast Fred Richard is proud to talk about the mattress he prearranged to have delivered ahead of the Games. Richard explained that at the Olympics his mindset is "to live like a king" -- which is hardly guaranteed in communal accommodations. USA Gymnastics quickly executed a partnership with BedJet, to provide its athletes a cooling, warming and sweat-drying system for beds to help them stay cool at night.
A U.S. Olympic Committee spokesperson said it's not uncommon for its athletes to choose not to live in the village for a number of reasons. Some start in the village and leave for training, to stay with family, or go to their competitions further away. A majority, however, stay in the village -- until they are kicked out 48 hours after their competition ends.
One issue the Americans flagged early was the lack of air conditioning. Experts had warned that 2024 could be the hottest Games in history. To be environmentally conscious, organizers installed geothermal cooling systems that maintain rooms at least 10 degrees cooler than outside temperatures, and no warmer than high 70s at night. But several federations, including the U.S., took matters into their own hands and provided portable AC units.
Then there were complaints about the food. France is known for culinary precision, and Paris organizers recruited Michelin-starred chefs Amandine Chaignot, Alexandre Mazzia and Akrame Benallal for menu input. The village prepared to serve 13 million meals and snacks between the Olympics and Paralympics, but upon arriving, athletes across several countries reported not enough of what they wanted (protein) and subpar quality.
With environmental concerns in mind, Paris 2024 wanted to source its produce locally and seasonally, and incorporate more plant-based options. The British received publicity over opening weekend when their Olympic association's chief executive Andy Anson was quoted in The Times of London as saying the food was "not adequate," included raw meat and needed to improve "dramatically." Anson said many of their athletes were relying on British-provided boxed meals instead.
A Team Great Britain spokesperson downplayed the issues to ESPN, saying that the team had always planned on having a private chef at its performance center in Clichy -- which is in the suburbs. The spokesperson said there were no instances of British athletes leaving the village as of this week.
Paris 2024 Organizers told ESPN that while the Olympic Village dining hall experienced significant demand over its first few days -- specifically eggs and grilled meats -- they've worked with suppliers to "significantly improve the quality of service." They've upped the quantity of grilled meats to 900 grams (just under 2 pounds) per athlete per day. Paris 2024 said it is now providing more than 700 kilos per day of eggs (1,543 pounds), 500 kilos (1102 pounds) per day of poultry for grilling and 200 kilos (441 pounds) per day of beef. And, as is the French way, on Monday the IOC reported that it had distributed more than 1,000 baguettes per day.
Another complaint has been transportation. While the Paris organizing committee has strongly urged media and fans to utilize the city's public transportation system, private buses charter athletes to competition. That has led to some logistical headaches with events spread across the metropolis -- specifically swimming, where the competition pool is in Nanterre, a western suburb. Six South Korean swimmers have checked out of the village and into a hotel, according to the Korea Times. The article quoted swimmer Kim Woo-min, who complained about overheating on a bus with no air conditioning and windows taped shut. Woo-min also said one of the buses got into a minor accident and "wasted time on the road after the driver had missed the turn." The swimmers' hotel is now a five-minute walk from the arena.
According to CoStar, a global provider of real estate data, Parisian hotels have been booked at much higher rates than last year's normal tourism season, but there still is availability. CoStar's data said as of Monday 84.7% of hotel rooms in Paris were occupied. So if other athletes choose to make the move, there are options.
But there are plenty of reasons to stay in the village -- and a large part centers around convenience. The IOC said Monday that more than 150 athletes were visiting the village's beauty salon. There's laundry service, coffee shops, dental clinics, free bike rentals and virtual reality studios, not to mention plenty of swag.
And of course, there's the whole concept of the village itself: camaraderie. British tennis player Andy Murray won't stop gushing about how he absolutely adores the village. It's one of the reasons he wanted to return for one more Olympics before retiring. Murray has been known as the pin king, hunting down fellow athletes to trade pins in one of the Olympics' most time-tested traditions. The younger generation, like Gauff, is taking note.
"Just the tidbits, just talking to other people and seeing their mentality," Gauff said. " I was talking to Suni Lee [on Saturday] and she said she was a little bit nervous and obviously I think she's such a GOAT, and obviously Simone [Biles.] But they're all like, still nervous. I'm like, these people are incredible and probably are going to win, but they still feel those nerves. I've learned that it's OK to feel that, and it's normal."
ESPN's Coley Harvey contributed reporting.
