“Not What We Desired”: Olympic Village Struggles Detailed By Jarrion Lawson

What strikes you first when you hear about the Olympics? Probably that it is a grand sporting spectacle. While that is not unusual, the aspect of diverse requirements of different athletes getting together in that extravaganza is easy to overlook. But that is what makes the Olympics hardest to organize. And the French authorities are getting a hang of it the hard way.

They intended to showcase the French Legacy by organizing the opening ceremony on the Seine. But their effort failed to bring applause from every corner. Next, they built the Olympic Village keeping environmental sustainability in mind. But the overall arrangement and food quality are in the eye of the storm from the very beginning. Adding to it, now a prominent member of Team USA has opened up on it.

In an Exclusive interview with our EssentiallySports correspondent in Paris, Shreya Verma, 2017 world Championship silver medalist long jumper Jarrion Lawson, who is participating in his second Olympics, revealed how the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) had to step in to save the athletes from the agony of the Olympic village.

We had asked the East Texas native about the food and cardboard beds, which had spiked as a major issue by the athletes competing in Paris. To which he replied, “You know it’s they’re leaving something to be desired; the beds aren’t bad; we had mattress toppers come in. The food was terrible, but you know we’re making our way. We have a lovely high-performance center that USOPC put together. And so we can eat there. We can train there. So overall, it’s been a good experience.”

Lawson’s revelation to us further solidifies the incidents of several Team USA members leaving the Olympic Village. Just after the first weekend, the American tennis team members were leaving the village. Even Coco Gauff had subtly hinted at the less-than-optimum condition there. The Olympic Village has several dormitories for thousands of athletes that aim to promote camaraderie among them. But it might not be the best option for the athletes who thrive on routine and discipline. The most talked-about in the village is probably the beds.

Keeping it green, the beds are made of 100% recyclable cardboard. Tennis star Emma Navarro has already admitted that she was having issues while sleeping on the bed. Australian water polo player Matilda Kearns took to social media to reveal that she “already had a massage to undo the damage” from sleeping on the mattress. Amid rising concerns, USA Gymnastics partnered with BedJet, who arranged a cooling, warming, and sweat-drying system for beds to have a good night’s sleep. However, one more pressing issue can seriously hamper that.

It is a lack of air conditioning in the Olympic Village. Keeping with environmental sustainability, organizers arranged geothermal cooling systems that keep the room temperature at least 10 degrees cooler than outside. But the effectiveness of those is questionable considering the Olympics are taking place in the hottest months of France. If these were not enough, the quality of food added more agony.

Paris organizers recruited Michelin-starred chefs, Amandine Chaignot, Alexandre Mazzia, and Akrame Benallal for curating the menu. But such high-profile arrangements failed to satiate the hunger of all. Athletes across several countries complained of a lack of protein in the food. Notably, keeping the green games in mind, the authorities included more plant-based foods on the menu. But the British Olympic Association’s chief executive Andy Anson claimed that was not enough and also included raw meat.

However, the organizers have claimed that they have drastically increased the supply of eggs and meat to meet the requirements of the athletes. Despite such a chaotic situation, Lawson is not going to miss cherishing the Olympic experience. And for him, that does not only mean his own competition, but watching others perform as well. So we asked him, who is he looking forward to watching at the Paris?

The Arkansas alumnus expressed his love for basketball as he replied to Shreya, “Of course, man. You know, I watch a lot of basketball. Haven’t really been to any NBA games. And so, you know, being able to see Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and some of the other ones.” However, amid everything, Lawson does not forget his own duty.

Jarrion Lawson is set on his target, overcoming obstacles

In the exclusive interview with Essentially Sports, Jarrion Lawson, further shared with our correspondent how his training has been going on. The Olympian, giving a brief overview, said: “The training’s going good. I will compete on Sunday. Body’s feeling good; the work has been put in.” While speaking on that, he also pointed out a hardcore truth about Team USA.

“You know, it’s amazing being around the world’s best. Of course, we believe Team USA is the hardest team to make,” the 5x individual NCAA championship winner said. But once on board, Lawson is “excited to go.” And not once he is away from his target of taking a shot at the podium. As the 2016 Bowerman winner puts it: “Absolutely, that’s why I came here for it; this is a business trip. Let’s go!”

Notably, the 30-year-old American athlete took over the center stage with his ‘season’s best’ long jump of 8.18 m, which secured him the spot at his second Olympics season after 2016. Throughout his career, Lawson’s had to sail through struggles with health concerns, a doping ban, and outshining them to represent his country on Parisian soil. His tenacity shone through when, after fighting patellar tendinitis, he came back to jump 8.34 m for silver at the 2015 NCAA championship. The doping fiasco only added another layer to his struggles.

On August 3, 2018, Lawson was informed that he tested positive for the banned trenbolone. Lawson argued that he had eaten beef at a Japanese restaurant in Arkansas before a drug test on June 2, 2018, and that might have been contaminated. Incidentally, trenbolone is frequently used in the U.S. to promote the growth of beef cattle. After a long battle, in March 2020, he was cleared of the charges, along with around $10,000, to help offset his legal fees. We keep our fingers crossed to find Lawson in all his glory as he takes the stage in Paris.