An Italian swimmer who blamed a poor race on bad food and a lack of air conditioning in the Olympic Village has been caught taking a nap in a Paris park by a fellow athlete who posted it on social media.
Backstroker Thomas Ceccon won a gold medal in his first race of the Paris Games and a bronze medal (and legion of female fans) in his second.
But after failing to qualify for the final in his third event, the men’s 200m backstroke, he joined in a chorus of athlete complaints about conditions at the Olympic village, with inadequate food and rooms that are too hot to sleep in.
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“There is no air conditioning, we don’t eat well, and there are problems with the food. Many athletes move for these reasons,” he said. “It is not an alibi it is the pure chronicle of what perhaps not everyone knows.”
On Saturday, a video of the athlete snoozing on a towel in a shady spot of grass in a Paris Park went viral after being posted on Instagram by Saudi rower Husein Alireza. The Italian swimming federation responded to the video, pointing out that it was taken during the daytime, saying: “It was just a nap.”
There have been endless complaints from athletes about conditions at the $1.6 billion village on the outskirts of Paris.
Many have complained about the quality and quantity of the food, forcing caterers to step up orders for animal proteins such as eggs and chicken.
Others have complained about the eco-friendly rooms featuring recyclable cardboard beds and a cooling system under the buildings that has failed to cope in a summer heatwave.
