“What do you think of the organisation of the Olympic Games? They say it’s terrible,” a volunteer at the shuttle stop, a young curly-haired Parisian, asks me. I nod, the conditions in the main press centre really aren’t the best, everything is chaotic, stupid and even the hot water for coffee runs out five minutes after it’s brought. We can only hope that these are just glitches from the first few days, which will be corrected in the near future. However, the volunteers themselves are great fellows and help out as best they can.
Andrey Pankov’s impressions of the organization of the Games:
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“I’m terribly tired of these fences.” Myths of Paris before the start of the Olympic Games
“But the Olympic Village is great!” I replied. Not out of politeness or a desire to at least praise his hometown, which is hosting the Games, but because it really is. But the first impression of the village was contradictory. When we passed it on the way from the airport, the wind brought an unpleasant smell through the open window of the taxi, like from a garbage dump. “And how do poor athletes live there?” – crossed my mind then.
But I didn’t smell any smells in the village, even though I walked all over it. Some myths that quickly spread on the Internet also turned out to be false. For example, that athletes have been spared air conditioning and are forced to endure the heat and stuffiness or, like the Chinese, take it with them.
We were among the first to see the Chinese team’s house, walking across the pedestrian bridge that crosses the river. Representatives of the Celestial Empire decorated their building with traditional motifs and the inscriptions “Go, China!” in English, French and Chinese and pasted their flags on the windows.
Home of the Chinese team at the Paris Olympics
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
And they don’t bring air conditioners there! Later, the village director, Laurent Michaud, confirmed that they were not necessary: “We have an environmentally friendly cooling system that is placed under the floor. It keeps a comfortable temperature in the rooms. Last week there were quite hot days and we were able to verify that the system worked efficiently. The response is good, I am happy to see the athletes with a smile on their faces.”
“Air conditioning is not prohibited,” Michaud continued. “We even have a catalogue from which you can order air conditioners and we will deliver them to you. Those who wanted them have already placed an order and we have installed everything. But in our opinion, our cooling system is sufficient to maintain a pleasant temperature.”
In general, the village is a district of the commune of Saint-Denis in the north of Paris. It was built for the Games and will later become a regular residential area. There are not only houses, but also a clinic, a gym, recreation and leisure rooms, cafes, food and souvenir shops, a post office, a beauty salon, a tourist centre, prayer rooms, laundries and even an open-air meditation centre!
Meditation Centre in the Olympic Village
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. Here, Dutch and American volleyball players hug each other in the street. And at the home of the French national team, someone is congratulated on their birthday with a small cake. There is a great deal of excitement around the Olympic rings: everyone wants to take a photo as a souvenir.
We were not allowed to enter the residential buildings, but each delegation arranges and decorates the courtyards to their liking. The French set up an open-air hall with a large screen to watch the competition, and the entrance to the Australian team’s house is decorated with figures of a kangaroo and an ostrich.
They say there were problems with food here. There seemed to be some problems with the supply, but Michaud says these have now been resolved: “In the first week of work, the number of inhabitants of the village increased from 0 to 8,000 and we are already seeing the needs of the athletes. The problem was not the lack of food. There was food, but we had to adapt to our needs. The main problem was the high consumption of eggs and the suppliers responded very quickly. We listened to the athletes.”
Canteen in the Olympic Village
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
One of the most pressing issues when organising life in the Olympic Village was cardboard beds, so we couldn’t help but try them out for ourselves. Looking at this bed, it seems like it will fall apart, like Nif-Nif’s thatched house, the moment you sit on it.
And mattresses made from recycled fishing nets look pretty suspicious. But I sat down and nothing happened! She lay down, wow, it’s comfortable! Not too hard, not too soft, just right.
More on cardboard beds at the Olympics:
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The Olympic Village’s anti-sex beds are stronger than they look. We checked them out for ourselves!
In the end I took a chance and jumped in. Nothing broke, cracked or even creaked. The beds turned out to be quite reliable and comfortable. They are definitely better in real life than they look in the videos that have gone viral on the Internet.
There are also traces of Russian athletes who live in the village. Next to the central square there is a viewing platform made of white columns, where contestants can leave their autograph or just write something. Swimmer Evgeniy Somov signed one of the pillars, and on the other we find the inscription: “From the very beginning of my career I dreamed of making it to the Olympics and I did it!” I wonder who wrote this?
Gazebo in the Olympic Village
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
“They, like all other athletes, live in the village, we do not differentiate between different nationalities. We do not share their exact location for security reasons. Nations can display their flags if they want, but some do not want to show where they are. We respect their needs,” Misha said of the Russians’ accommodation.
Swimmer Evgeny Somov and cyclist Tamara Dronova, with whom I managed to communicate the day after the official opening of the Olympic Games, are like everyone else in the village. The beds are comfortable, the food is good, and everyone pays attention to their unusual neutral form.
And since athletes like it, that’s the main thing.
