Tejal Somvanshi
The photo of Thomas Ceccon sleeping on the grass in a park during the Paris 2024 Olympics has sparked numerous controversies regarding the conditions of the Olympic Village. The swimmer, who won gold in the 100-meter backstroke and bronze in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, explained the reason for his nap on the grass in an interview with Eurosport: “It’s less uncomfortable,” said the 23-year-old, adding, “They’re a bit hard, a bit narrow and a bit small. It’s a bit difficult to sleep there.” The Paris organizers opted for more green choices, offering cardboard beds and not providing air conditioning in the athletes’ accommodations, a decision that has sparked considerable controversy.
The Games are not yet over, but the medals are already numerous, and so are the controversies. The organizers of Paris 2024 made it clear from the beginning: this edition must go down in history as the turning point of the Olympics. It is the 33rd of the modern era and will be the first “distributed” Games, with events organized within the city (and in the Seine), the first truly responsible for cost containment, sustainability, environmentally friendly, and inclusive. While the final costs will be assessed at the end, it’s already time for a preliminary—but certainly amendable—evaluation of the other commendable goals.
Sustainability within the Olympic Village, for example, has translated from the start into cardboard beds, mattresses made of recycled fibers, zero-kilometer food, and, above all, natural air conditioning, thanks to innovative materials, strategically oriented rooms (“more towards Lille than Marseille,” based on French cardinal points), a geothermal plant, extensive greening, but no air conditioning. Ceccon sought a solution to a common problem. The village, built with sustainability in mind, does not have air conditioning in the rooms. Many have complained, and several have left. Gregorio Paltrinieri has denounced the lack of protection for athletes: “I always fall asleep at two in the morning because our rooms lack air conditioning, and it’s too hot.” For him, in his fourth Olympics, this is the worst organisation he’s seen. The same issue is present on the buses to the competition venues: Simona Quadarella has spoken of scorching journeys, and Simone Biles has chosen to travel with a portable fan.
Complaints have also come in about the cafeteria, where, before the games began, when many athletes were constantly in the village, it took up to an hour to get food. Eggs were missing, and the meat was undercooked. More staff and food supplies have been added, but it has become a myth that a Norwegian was the first to raid the chocolate muffins, the only delight in the Olympic cafeteria. The English almost immediately decided to eat outside, urgently recalling a chef from the homeland. The vegetarian intentions annoyed the Americans, starting with Simone Biles, who complained about menus that were too low in protein, and perhaps worse, undercooked meat. In contrast, Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen has gone crazy for the muffins and has been nicknamed “Muffin Man.” The location in Saint-Denis, near the Stade de France but far from everything else, has also sparked complaints about the time it takes to reach competition sites, with long waits for buses and shuttles.
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The participation of the public and the impact of the Games on tourism also remain to be assessed. According to the data published by Airbnb, the number of active listings in the Paris region have increased by 40%, as of March 31st, boosting availability for guests. Nights booked in the Paris region for stays during the dates of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 are over five times (400%) higher than they were the same time a year ago (as of March 31st). Smaller towns and neighbourhoods outside central Paris like Saint Denis, Chateauroux, and Lille have also seen a significant rise in interest thanks to the decision to host Paris 2024 throughout France.
The distributed Olympics have centred on the Seine, whose waters still do not justify the 1.4 billion euros invested in cleaning them. After the suspense over the individual triathlon races, it will only be known early this morning if the bacteria have eased and the relay can take place, pending the open water events on August 7 and 8. Infectious disease specialist Matteo Bassetti also joined the chorus of criticism, calling Ceccon’s image of sleeping in the park “sad” and bad publicity for the Olympics. He noted that many athletes have complained about the conditions in the Olympic Village, including issues with transportation, the heat, and inadequate food. Bassetti also criticised the decision to have athletes compete in the polluted waters of the Seine, questioning the safety and appropriateness of the organisational choices: “I believe the most serious mistake was allowing athletes to swim in the polluted waters of the Seine. I am increasingly surprised that in all these years (of preparation for the Paris Games, ed.), no one thought of having these athletes swim somewhere safer.”
Protests have come from athletes worldwide. The Greek men’s basketball team, arriving from Lille after the first phase of the tournament, has no intention of setting foot in the village. The same goes for the Serbian basketball players. The Australian women’s water polo team sought mattress covers because they couldn’t sleep. Swedish swimming superstar Sarah Sjostrom brought her mattress. Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, who won gold in the 400-meter freestyle, explained, “Living in the Olympic Village makes it hard to perform.” And the French? Swimmer Leon Marchand was moved to a building near Defense Arena for better rest. We know this because the anti-doping control team looked for him in the wrong place.
Even on inclusion, things haven’t gone smoothly. The controversies surrounding the opening ceremony and the alleged reference to the Last Supper, which transformed into a musical performance with drag queens, are turning into a legal case. Death threats, along with openly homophobic insults, have been directed at artistic director Thomas Jolly, who has repeatedly stated that he was not inspired by Leonardo or the Last Supper. DJ Barbara Butsch has also received threats and insults. As per her Instagram handle, she has revealed that she has been a target of “anti-semitic, homophobic, sexist and grossophobic insults.” Yesterday, the Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation following complaints from the management of the production company Paname 2024, which handled the ceremony.
