These Athletes Had Heartwarming (and Hilarious) Reactions to Arriving in Olympic Village

Yes, the cardboard beds are back.

It's been one hell of a summer for sports. On the heels of a repeat win for Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon (complete with a surprise appearance by Kate Middleton), the Paris Olympics are next in line to take center stage. With the 2020 Olympics postponed and later held in a reduced capacity due to the ongoing pandemic, plus frontrunners like Simone Biles and Coco Gauff withdrawing, this summer's games come highly anticipated.

But this year's Olympics promise to be heartwarming—and hilarious—for another reason entirely: beyond their sport, many of the athletes are becoming internet stars in their own right, meaning we have plenty of opportunities to keep up with their Olympic Village shenanigans in real-time. Ahead, we're rounding up the best snapshots and videos from their temporary digs in Paris, France, in celebration of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Simone Biles

The most decorated gymnast of all time arrived in Paris alongside her teammates in matching red, white, and blue "Team USA" tracksuits courtesy of Ralph Lauren. After dropping out of the 2021 individual competition due to a case of the twisties, the athlete is now poised to reclaim gold—especially with her new "...Ready For It?" floor routine.

Ilona Maher

Two-time Olympian Ilona Maher is back playing for USA rugby this year in Paris after debuting at the 2021 games in Tokyo. Known for her body positivity on Instagram, the star recently made the perfect Love Island reference thanks to a new Olympic-themed bikini from Skims.

Coco Gauff

After a three-month jaunt around Europe that included a competitive run at Wimbledon, tennis star Coco Gauff arrived in Paris for a long-anticipated Olympics re-do (she had to withdraw in 2021 after testing positive for COVID).

Casey Kaufhold

Archer Casey Kaufhold started her journey to Paris with the most on-theme accessory: a giant pillow croissant. Five days later, the athlete showed off a slew of pins collected from around the Olympic Village.

Victor Montalvo

While quite a few new sports were added to the lineup this year, perhaps none is more surprising than breakdancing. Breaker Victor Montalvo marked the moment by taking a tour of the venue: "Got to see a bit of the breaking grounds!"

Kassidy Cook

Diver Kassidy Cook got to her room at the Olympic Village and immediately confirmed the rumors surrounding those infamous cardboard bed frames: "In case you were wondering: yes, our boards—our boards? our beds—are made out of cardboard. It's like a goddamn Amazon package up in here."

Jordan Chiles

Aside from her teammate Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles is one of the most talked-about Olympians in Paris right now. She joins Biles on Team USA's "redemption tour" after winning a silver team medal back in 2021.

Tilly Kearns

The cardboard bed saga continued on Instagram as the Paris Olympics got underway, this time via Australian swimmer Tilly Kearns. "My back is about to fall off," her roommate said, while Kearns confirmed that "it's actually rock solid." Not to worry: their team manager soon arrived with a crucial mattress topper.

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