An Italian swimmer who blamed poor food and a lack of air conditioning in the Olympic Village for his poor race was caught taking a nap in a Paris park by a fellow athlete and posted it on social media.
Backstroke swimmer Thomas Ceccon won a gold medal in his first competition at the Paris Olympics and a bronze medal (and legion of female fans) in his second.
But after failing to qualify for the final of his third event, the men's 200-meter backstroke, he joined complaints from other athletes about conditions in the Olympic village, with inadequate food and rooms too hot to sleep in.
“There is no air conditioning, we don’t eat well, there are problems with the food. Many athletes exercise for these reasons,” he said. “It is not an alibi, it is the pure chronicle of what perhaps not everyone knows.”
A video of a person taking a nap on a towel in a shady patch of grass in a Paris park went viral on Saturday after it was posted to Instagram by Saudi rower Husein Alireza. and quickly went viral. In response to the video, the Italian Swimming Federation pointed out that the video was taken during the day and said: “It was just a nap”
There have been endless complaints from athletes about conditions in the $1.6 billion village on the outskirts of Paris.
Many have complained about the quality and quantity of the food, forcing caterers to order more animal proteins such as eggs and chicken. For athletes, it is important to pay particular attention to the food:
Others complained about the eco-friendly accommodations, with beds made from recyclable cardboard and a cooling system under the buildings that could not cope with the summer heat wave.
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