Ariana Titmus (Photo by Steve Christo – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
They may have been competing at one of the most famous sporting events in the world — but for some Olympic athletes, the accommodations left a lot to be desired.
Australian swimming champion Ariarne Titmus told The Project on Thursday, August 15, that she wasn’t a huge fan of some aspects of Paris’ Olympic Village that she and her teammates were housed in.
“The village isn’t as glamorous as people think,” Titmus, 23, said on the TV show.
The gold medalist pinpointed hygiene as a particular area of concern.
“Our bedsheets got changed after the first night we were there and then they didn’t get changed for the rest of the time we were there, so we were living in filth,” Titmus recalled.
The short supply of toilet paper designated for athletes at the Olympic village also meant the athletes were forced to go to creative lengths to obtain more, according to Titmus.
“We would have to lie about how many roommates we had so we could scab toilet rolls,” the Olympian said. “We’d run out of toilet roll and then they’d only give us one for four days.”
Titmus isn’t the first sports star to share an insight on the conditions in the Olympic village.
Australian athletes (L-R) Lani Pallister, Noemie Fox, Ariarne Titmus and Jessica Fox (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)
The rooms infamously contained what were dubbed “anti-sex” beds, due to the cardboard material they were made from, which were rumored not to have the ability to withstand sexual activity.
In July, British diver Tom Daley took to TikTok during the Games to show off the beds and test how strong they really are.
“As you can see, it’s like a box,” Daley, 30, narrated, rapping his knuckles on the headboard in the footage shared.
Daley then tested the bed’s strength by jumping up and down and bouncing on his knees to see if it would hold up — which it did. “As you can see, they’re pretty sturdy,” he noted.
As Paris passes the torch to Los Angeles as the host of the 2028 Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already adjusted the event schedule. In 2023, the IOC approved proposals for five new sports at the 2028 Olympics, some of which — including lacrosse and cricket — haven’t been seen at the […]
Meanwhile, Team USA fencing star Jackie Dubrovich told Us Weekly on Friday, August 9 that the Olympic Village was a “fun” place to be.
“It’s college for the most athletic adults,” Dubrovich, 30, said. “It’s fun! With the competitions wrapping up, I think it’s gonna be really fun. People are more likely to go out of their way to talk to other people, socialize and party.”
The athlete also raved about the village’s ability to bring so many people from all parts of the globe together.
“That’s part of the fun of the Olympics,” she said. “After you’re done competing, you meet all these people from around the world and you just have a good time together.”
