Paris 2024 organizers respond after athlete claims Olympic Village conditions cost her world record
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Chris Hyde/Getty Images / VCG/VCG via Getty Images
Olympic organizers have addressed Ariarne Titmus complaints about the conditions of this year's Olympic Village.
On Saturday (July 27), the Australian swimmer bagged herself an Olympic gold medal and, while most people would be on top of the world after being crowned a gold medallist, Titmus still wasn't happy.
While she came first in her race, the 23-year-old swimmer felt she could have done better and went on to allege that it was the Paris Olympics' living conditions that stopped her from beating her previous world record.
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In the 2023 World Championship 400m freestyle race, Titmus secured a time of 3:55.38, but her time on Saturday was over two seconds longer.
She said of the athletes' living conditions: "It's definitely not made for high performance, so it's about who can really keep it together in the mind."
Titmum added that 'living in the Olympic Village makes it hard to perform'.
Organizers have since addressed Titmus' apparent complaints and insisted that the athletes' wellbeing is their 'priority'.
They said in a statement to UNILAD: "On the conditions pointed out by some athletes, Paris 2024 is in constant liaison with the National Olympic Committees and stands ready to help with any further changes needed to catering or transportation services. It is our priority to meet the performance needs of athletes from around the world.
"That’s why we have worked with our suppliers to adapt our food service to the athletes’ needs.
"These changes have significantly improved the quality of the service. For example, the quantity of grilled meats on offer is now 900 grams per athlete, per day."
The statement continued: "On transportation, significant progress has also been made, with 100% of services provided and a punctuality rate of over 90 percent.
"In addition, all the competition sessions were able to start on time. Today, the transport of accredited persons for Paris 2024 represents more than 1,300 buses, the equivalent of the city of Lyon bus network.
"Finally, on the beds, a key benefit of Airweave mattresses is that they are customisable to an individual’s morphology and so can meet specific comfort and preparation needs.
"The quality of Airweave mattresses is recognised and approved by National Olympic and Paralympic Committees and already proved its comfort to athletes during the Tokyo Games."
The accommodation is reportedly big enough to house all 14,250 athletes competing this summer's Games. It isn't compulsory for them to stay there, however.
The 2024 Olympics will conclude on Sunday, August 11.
