Paris Olympics Issues Continue to Pile as South Korean Swimming Stars Ditch Village in Frustration: “Something Has to Be Done”

It looks like the City of Lights is facing some dark days ahead. With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, athletes and organizers are struggling to keep everything on track. The latest twist? South Korea’s swimming stars have had enough of the Olympic Village and are making a splash by leaving it entirely.

French authorities have emphasized their efforts to make the Games more sustainable, saying, “We have looked to reduce everything that can be reduced, for Games that emit less carbon and consume fewer resources.” 

While this eco-friendly approach is admirable, it seems the athletes are paying the price for it at the behest of their comfort. 

According to Reuters, six South Korean swimmers were forced to vacate the Olympic Village. Swimmers Kim Woomin and Hwang Sunwoo are among those who have complained about the stuffy conditions on buses due to taped windows, and lack of air-conditioning.

To make matters worse, the journey to the arena took more than an hour, despite the distance being only 12 km. Now, the team has moved to a hotel just five minutes from the Paris La Defense Arena, where the swimming events will be held. Korea Swimming Federation president Chong Chang-hoon said, “We just want to make sure they will be at least a bit more comfortable.”

Even Hwang Sunwoo weighed in, describing the bus as a sauna, “It’s cooler outside than inside the bus. It usually takes about 40 to 45 minutes from the village to the arena, but it took us more than an hour and a half.” He detailed that the windows were taped, maybe because of the threat of terrorist attacks, and finished by saying, “But something has to be done.”

The sentiment was mirrored among the Australian swimmers as well. Earlier, swimmer Shayna Jack had taken to social media, sharing a post featuring several elite swimmers sitting on the floor of a non-air-conditioned bus. “Bus rides to the pool are jam packed … 45 mins to comp pool…No air-con or windows down. Bus has also gotten lost. Crazy start to the chaos,” she further described the situation on Instagram.

The logistical issues disrupted athletes’ schedules, forcing them to miss “physio and recovery time allotments”, said chef de mission Anna Meares. Their coach, Rohan Taylor, said the Australian Olympic Committee has been meeting with local organizers and the IOC daily “to get the right buses with the right conditions.” 

In another instance, the Australian men’s hockey team was even driven to the wrong venue, Stade de France—a rugby/football stadium.

Moreover, the geothermal cooling system has had mixed reviews. While some found it insufficiently cooling, US sprinter Fred Kerley said his “room Got super cold”. The French authorities have done away with air conditioning units to reduce the carbon footprint; however, the United States  Olympic & Paralympic Committee said it will bring their own.

CEO Sarah Hirshland said, “In our conversations with athletes this was a very high priority and something that the athletes felt was a critical component in their performance capability and the predictability and consistency of what they’re accustomed to.” Additionally, the Team USA physiologist noted that the temperature at the village might be 79°F, which is lower than the optimal bedroom sleep micro-environment, potentially leading to athletes feeling light-headed or physically weaker on their competition days.

Is Paris unable to properly cater to the 10,000+ athletes? 

The fiasco at the Paris Olympics keeps building. In an incident reminiscent of Usain Bolt having to eat the same food for 10 days at the 2008 Olympics, this time there are problems with the catering at the Olympic Village. Despite being promised gourmet foods and Michelin-standard cuisines in Paris, according to the British Olympic team, that’s far from the truth.

There have been accounts of raw meat being served. This prompted the British to hire an additional chef for their alternative restaurant. They enlisted an entire catering college in Clichy as their performance base.

CEO of the British Olympic Association Andy Anson voiced the severity of the situation, saying, “There are not enough of certain foods: eggs, chicken, certain carbohydrates. And then there is the quality of the food, with raw meat being served to athletes.” He gravely added, “They have got to improve it over the next couple of days dramatically.” Earlier in the year, the Paris Olympic Committee stated that they aim to lower carbon dioxide emissions to 1.5 million metric tons. For this, they have made several adjustments, like replacing diesel generators with renewable energy sources.

One athlete pointed out how “challenging” it was to get a piece of chicken during rush hours!

Energy-efficient electric vehicles have replaced gas-powered buses, but now it seems that these buses are becoming the bane of the athletes. Additionally, the cardboard beds designed with mattresses allowing for airflow are not all they are chalked up to be. Some athletes have complained about how their back is “thrown out” from sleeping on the stiff beds. 

And the most dangerous concern of them all? River Seine, which is set to host triathlon and marathon events, showed an E.Coli level way higher than the safe limit of 900 colony-forming units per 100 ML, as per European standards. While Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip to dispel rumors, the matter has still been a growing concern. However, according to US triathlete, the issue is not exactly new.

“We saw this same topic of discussion leading into both the Rio (2016) and the Tokyo Olympic Games. It’s always a concern, but it also feels like the same hype we’ve seen in the past. We swam in the Seine at the Paris test event last year, and to my knowledge, no one got sick from the water quality,” she said to The Athletic.

Now, that’s akin to a silver lining. Wouldn’t you agree?