KUALA LUMPUR: Italian gold medalist Thomas Ceccon was seen napping in a Paris park after complaining that conditions in the Olympic Village were unbearable and too hot.
Ceccon, 23, blamed the subpar conditions at the athletes' accommodation for his failure to qualify for the 200m backstroke final last Wednesday, The Daily Mail reported.
Despite being a favourite for the event after winning gold in the 100m backstroke, he cited fatigue from poor sleep in the village as a key factor in his performance.
"There is no air conditioning in the village, it's hot, the food is bad," Ceccon explained after his disappointing performance in the 200m heats.
"Many athletes move for this reason: it's not an alibi or excuse, it's the reality of what perhaps not everyone knows. I'm disappointed that I didn't make the final, but I was too tired. It's hard to sleep both at night and in the afternoon. Usually, when I'm at home, I always sleep in the afternoon: here I really struggle between the heat and the noise."
Taking matters into his own hands, Ceccon was spotted sleeping in a Paris park. Saudi Arabian rower Husein Alireza shared a video on Instagram showing Ceccon napping on a white towel in the Olympic Village grounds.
Ceccon is not alone in his criticism of the Olympic Village. Tennis star Coco Gauff revealed that one of her teammates chose to move out due to the cramped quarters.
Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus commented, "It probably wasn't the time I thought I was capable of, but living in the Olympic Village makes it hard to perform. It's definitely not made for high performance, so it's about who can really keep it together in the mind."
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen added, "There are multiple factors that make village life far from ideal. It's the cardboard beds, which can't give you optimal sleep. It's the lack of air conditioning, which is going to play a bigger factor as the week goes on. It was 20 degrees and raining yesterday, but it's going to be mid-30s in the coming days. That's going to play a factor, and the Australian team having their own portable air conditioners will be a welcome relief."