When most people envision the life of an Olympic athlete, they think about how good they must be cared for when they are playing in the games. As it turns out, that may not be entirely accurate.
At the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, one of the gold medalists, Thomas Ceccon was found outside sleeping in the park. He had previously complained about the bad Olympic Village conditions that existed, referring to them as subpar.
Since the best Olympians and undoubtedly, the best athletes in the world were staying at the Olympic Village, you would think that it would be in top condition. Thomas had complained about the conditions at the village and didn’t have much good to say about it.
Even though he won two metals this week, he complained about the environment in the living area, referring to it as subpar. Perhaps that is why the Italian swimmer was seen sleeping outdoors on a cardboard bed, as it was a better place to sleep.
You can see the white towel spread out as the Olympian is sleeping in the park. The picture was taken by a Saudi rower called Husein Alireza and posted to his Instagram account. The location was tagged as the Olympic Village grounds.
The 23-year-old Italian swimmer has been very vocal about his feelings. He said: “There is no air conditioning in the village, it’s hot, the food is bad.
“Many athletes move for this reason: it’s not an alibi or excuse, it’s the reality of what perhaps not everyone knows.
“I’m disappointed that I didn’t make the final, but I was too tired. It’s hard to sleep both at night and in the afternoon.
“Usually, when I’m at home, I always sleep in the afternoon: here I really struggle between the heat and the noise.”
As a result of the picture, the Italian Swimming Federation has been forced to clarify what was seen. They told the agency that it was just a nap and said that it was filmed in the daytime.
Ceccon is not the only one, however, to complain about the Olympic Village conditions. Other Olympians have also chimed in, saying that they were not happy with the conditions as well.