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I couldn’t ignore Adam Peaty’s comments about the food in the Olympic Village. I remember being disappointed with the food in Rio. But I also complained about the lifts in our accommodation, which for some reason didn’t work properly – you had to wait ages to get in and then half the British team were already in because they had all waited too.
It probably sounds spoiled. And maybe it is. I’ve definitely stayed in worse places over the years, trust me! But these things matter when you’ve spent four years of your life obsessing over every detail to prepare for something and there’s so much at stake.
Ultimately, I’m a huge fan of the Olympic Village. My biggest fear is that it will slowly die out as the sport becomes more professional. More and more, the big athletes, or even entire delegations, will step it up a notch because you can control all the variables so much better when you stay outside — nutrition, hygiene, rest and recovery, etc.
That makes sense. You’re less likely to catch Covid if you’re cooped up in a quiet hotel, far from the bubble. Or woken up by drunk athletes singing about a wrestler who unexpectedly won gold. Or, as Peaty claimed, allegedly eating fish with worms in it in a food hall trying to serve thousands of athletes.
You can feel the tide turning. I saw Rafael Nadal defend his decision to stay in the village this year, saying that you “only get the full experience” if you immerse yourself in it. I agree with him. But perhaps notably, it was Novak Djokovic, who chose to base himself off-site, who won the men’s Olympic gold.
It would be a shame if it didn’t happen. I’ve been to three Olympics, although I’ve only been in the village for two. At London 2012 I was on the road race team, so we stayed in the Surrey Hills. Road teams tend to stay off-site because they need the space to ride and train. Plus I had to go to another race the day after I finished.
‘The village is a madhouse’
In Beijing and Rio, however, I was right in the thick of it. As a young man of 23, I had never seen anything like the village in Beijing. The size of the food hall! As big as a football field, with food from all over the world. From simple chicken fillet to sushi and shiny pots of crème brûlée. But the biggest collective attraction was the fully operational McDonald’s.
There would be huge lines for it, but not for Big Macs. It was the only place in town where you could get a decent cup of coffee. That said, as the Games progressed and the athletes began to wrap up their competitions, there were more and more little red boxes doused with ketchup and BBQ sauce. There was also a McDonald’s in Rio, but it was much smaller and outside of town. It was like a tiny kiosk. It wasn’t as impressive as Beijing, but it still caught everyone’s eye.
It’s hard to describe in detail, but the town is a madhouse. It’s like a walled community. It’s hard to get in and out, with extremely tight security. But I can say that I always felt safe when I was inside. Nations are often put into tower blocks. Because the UK is a big country, we take up a whole country, but share other countries. You’ll bump into Tom Daley on your way to breakfast and say something like ‘Hey Tom. How are you?’ or some random chat that colleagues exchange when they pass each other in an office corridor.
The public perception of the village as a place where condoms are handed out like Smarties and everyone takes selfies with Usain Bolt in the cafeteria is a bit skewed. I don’t want to dispel the myth — I’d heard about tables with bowls of condoms before I went to Beijing — but I’ve never seen anything like it. I think it’s mostly publicity. Something for the media to get excited about.
As for the cardboard beds in Paris, that’s a sustainability issue, not an “anti-sex” issue. I saw South African BMX freestyler Vincent Leygonie doing tricks on his bike on his bed. Yes, there are probably a few athletes who are dating. But the truth is that everyone is so focused on their events. More and more often, they fly in as late as possible to prepare properly, and then they have to leave the village 24-48 hours after their competition. It makes for a good story.
As for the selfies, there is definitely some of that, but that is normal life. I remember in Rio, everyone in the village watched Nadal play tennis because there were courts. It was like being back in school on the playground. Everyone was watching through the barbed wire and cheering. But it probably happens more at the Commonwealth Games. There is more of an amateur atmosphere there.
‘At the Olympics everyone shows off’
Everyone at the Olympics is already the best in the world at what they do. When you go to a sporting event, most of the top favorites have at least a little bit of swagger. Well, at the Olympics, everyone has swagger. The top favorite from every country, from every sport, all in one place. I certainly wasn’t there to take selfies with anyone. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool to see Bolt up close. I respect every Olympic athlete for what they do. They’re at the peak of their game. But I’m not there to be a fan.
As I said, I would hate to see it go. No matter how bad the food is, or the beds are a bit rickety, or the lifts a bit broken, it is unique. Staying in the Olympic Village is an experience like no other. Especially for Team GB athletes. Our chef de mission Mark England does an incredible job. You really feel empowered as part of Team GB. Every touch. The red, white and blue everywhere. In Rio we had Brompton bikes to get around the village. Other countries must have thought we were really strange. They would come around the corner and see a bunch of athletes on folding bikes hurtling down the pavement.
I am going to Paris on Thursday on behalf of my sponsor Oakley. I am giving a talk at GB House on Thursday night and I am really looking forward to the Olympic experience. But I am not staying in the village this time. I will miss it.
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