They may have been competing at one of the most famous sporting events in the world — but for some Olympic athletes, the accommodations left a lot to be desired. Australian swimming champion Ariarne Titmus told The Project on Thursday, August 15, that she wasn’t a huge fan of some aspects of Paris’ Olympic Village that she and her teammates were housed in. “The village isn’t as glamorous as people think,” Titmus, 23, said on the TV show.
The gold medalist pinpointed hygiene as a particular area of concern. “Our bedsheets got changed after the first night we were there and then they didn’t get changed for the rest of the time we were there, so we were living in filth,” Titmus recalled. The short supply of toilet paper designated for athletes at the Olympic village also meant the athletes were forced to go to creative lengths to obtain more, according to Titmus.
“We would have to lie about how many roommates we had so we could scab toilet rolls,” the Olympian said. “We’d run out of toilet roll and then they’d only give us one for four days.” Titmus isn’t the first sports star to share an insight on the conditions in the Olympic village.
The rooms infamously contained what were dubbed “anti-sex” beds, due to the cardboard material they were made from, which were rumored not to have the ability to withstand sexual activity. In July, British diver Tom Daley took to TikTok during the Games to show off the beds and test how strong they really are..