Olympic gold medalist spotted sleeping in park after slamming Village conditions

The cardboard beds at the Olympic Village soon became the centre of attention when athletes headed to their new homes for the prestigious sporting event. Now, Italian gold medalist swimmer Thomas Ceccon opted to get his rest elsewhere after expressing his concerns about the Village's conditions.

On Saturday (3 August), Saudi rower Husein Alireza shared a snap of Ceccon, who won gold in the 100-metre backstroke, asleep on a white towel under a tree.

Ceccon previously opened up about the conditions at the Olympic Village, as per The Sun.

"There is no air conditioning in the village, it’s hot, the food is bad," he said. "Many athletes move for this reason: it’s not an alibi or an excuse, it’s the reality of what perhaps not everybody knows."

Ceccon failed to make the 200m backstroke final on Wednesday, adding: "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. Here, I really struggle between the heat and the noise."

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It's not the first time Olympians have spoken out about their housing situation.

US gymnastics champion Simone Biles took to TikTok to share that the "beds suck" but the team were "getting mattress toppers".

Australian water polo player Matilda Kearns also said she "already had a massage to undo the damage" from the beds.

Many people speculated the cardboard beds were intended to prevent athletes from getting frisky during the event. However, back in May, Olympic organizers told Reuters: "We know the media has had a lot of fun with this story since Tokyo 2020, but for Paris 2024, the choice of these beds for the Olympic & Paralympic Village is primarily linked to a wider ambition to ensure minimal environmental impact and a second life for all equipment used during the short period of the Games."

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