"It Literally Looks Like Hot Glue": Olympians Are Reacting To Their Paris 2024 Lodging

BuzzFeed
·3-min read

If, like me, you were more of a sensitive, arty kid, then you naturally have no idea what accommodation looks like for sporting competitions — let alone the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Athletes and officials walk in front of a sign for the Paris 2024 Olympics at the Athlete's Village Plaza. The sign lists various facilities and locations
Getty Images

Well, as per the Paris Olympics website, this year's Olympic Village "will span parts of three cities: Saint-Denis, Saint Ouen, and L'Île-Saint-Denis. It will accommodate 14,250 athletes during the Olympic Games, and 8,000 during the Paralympic Games." Afterward, it'll be turned into a neighborhood which will include 2,500 new homes, a student residence, and offices.

A bedroom with two single beds covered with Paris 2024 Olympic Games blankets, a standing fan, and a shelf. There is a balcony door leading outside
Getty Images

Luckily, we live in the era of TikTok, so we can see even more of what's inside. Puerto Rican diver Maycey Vieta posted a TikTok showing her room for the next 23 days, which she'll share with a swimmer.

A modern bedroom with a bed, neatly folded linens on top, a standing fan, and an empty shelving unit near a balcony with large windows
Maycey Vieta / Via tiktok.com

Her side of the room features her own bedside books and Chomp bars, as well as an open wardrobe. "I slept here last night, and it honestly was pretty good," she said. "The blackout curtains are fantastic, and we have two fans which has been super helpful because it does get pretty hot in here throughout the day."

Clothing rack with folded and hung clothes, shoes below, Paris 2024 sign, and a red sports bag with a logo, all in a room with partial view of a fan and window
Clothing rack with folded and hung clothes, shoes below, Paris 2024 sign, and a red sports bag with a logo, all in a room with partial view of a fan and window
Bedside area with white headboard, charger, books, gum, and LED light. Text on headboard partially visible:
Bedside area with white headboard, charger, books, gum, and LED light. Text on headboard partially visible:

Maycey Vieta / Via tiktok.com

There's also a "super nice" living space for the two of them, which also includes a drying rack for their many swimsuits. Downstairs, there are another two athletes from Puerto Rico.

A modern, minimalistic waiting area with a beige chair, a small round table, a hallway, and a coffee machine on a side counter
A modern, minimalistic waiting area with a beige chair, a small round table, a hallway, and a coffee machine on a side counter
A small, minimalist corner featuring a light gray lounge chair, a round white side table, and a blue cylindrical stool
A small, minimalist corner featuring a light gray lounge chair, a round white side table, and a blue cylindrical stool

Maycey Vieta / Via tiktok.com, Maycey Vieta

And there's the bathroom, which looks fine but similarly...to the point:

A modern, minimalist shower with a handheld showerhead and a marble-patterned floor mat outside the shower area. No people are in the image
A modern, minimalist shower with a handheld showerhead and a marble-patterned floor mat outside the shower area. No people are in the image
A small bathroom with a sink, mirror, liquid soap dispenser, and a toilet. There is a storage panel on the wall next to the toilet
A small bathroom with a sink, mirror, liquid soap dispenser, and a toilet. There is a storage panel on the wall next to the toilet

Maycey Vieta / Via tiktok.com

It's safe to say that the initial comments weren't exactly blown away:

Two comments discussing the lack of air conditioning at the Olympic village. One notes it is insane. Another expects luxury for such a significant event
Maycey Vieta / Via tiktok.com

Australian tennis player Daria Saville shared similar vibes in her suite, where she also has the joy of sharing a bathroom with three others. Apparently, there is an option to get an extended bed for those long-limbed athletes (alas, she did not get one).

A small, tidy bedroom in the Olympic Village with an unmade bed, decorations on the walls, and the text "Olympic Village Apartment Tour."
Daria Saville / Via tiktok.com

Team USA hockey player Phia Gladieux posted a video showing they'd at least gone slightly festive with their decor. Who doesn't love a "Murica" eagle by an Amazon Prime box coffee table?!

A U.S. flag and a Pledge of Allegiance poster are displayed on a white wall in a room. The poster includes the full text of the Pledge of Allegiance
A U.S. flag and a Pledge of Allegiance poster are displayed on a white wall in a room. The poster includes the full text of the Pledge of Allegiance
Three women are sitting on a couch, using phones. A wall flag behind them features a patriotic eagle and the word
Three women are sitting on a couch, using phones. A wall flag behind them features a patriotic eagle and the word

Phia Gladieux / Via tiktok.com

Simone Biles even shared her own USA decor on her Instagram, making her cardboard bed look slightly more cozy:

Simone Biles' Instagram Story shows a tidy room in the Olympic Village, featuring a bed with an Olympic-themed blanket and a wardrobe beside a window

Let's take a moment to discuss the beds. À la Tokyo, they are made out of cardboard, which is good for the environment! But the mattresses, which have "soft," "moderate," and "extra firm" sides, apparently are not great. As the Filipino American gymnast Aleah Finnegan put it, "It literally looks like hot glue."

A woman in a red shirt is putting a white cover on a mattress. Various items are on the bed
Aleah Finnegan / Via tiktok.com

The beds are structurally sound, as Aleah demonstrated via jumping on it: "I don't think the beds are going to go anywhere. So there's that. Gosh, they're not that comfortable."

Two firm and moderate mattresses are flipped open to show interior materials. Two hands, part of the image, hold the mattresses
Aleah Finnegan / Via tiktok.com

"This is rock solid," Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns affirmed in her own video, despite sleeping on the "soft" side. Thankfully, in a follow-up, she shared that their team manager bought them mattress toppers: "BACK PAIN NO MORE."

A hand lifting a mattress corner to show two labels: "1 SOFT" and "2 MODERATE," indicating different levels of firmness
Tilly Kearns / Via tiktok.com

There have been rumors that the beds exist as such to discourage sex, but as British diver Tom Daley exhibited, that's unlikely:

An athlete, testing the sturdiness of an Olympic bed, stands on it with text reading "TESTING OLYMPIC BEDS!"
Tom Daly / Via tiktok.com

At least it's not super wasteful!

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