In the stifling heat of this Tuesday in July, street vendors patiently wait for the athletes to pass by near the Olympic Village in Saint-Denis. On sheets laid out on the ground, hundreds of steel pins of all shapes and sizes await their lucky owner. Recognizable by their outfits in the colors of the Polish flag, two athletes observe, amused, the small objects spread out in front of them. “We’ve seen that everyone here collects pins from all nations, it’s a kind of tradition, I think,” explains Jakub Szymanski, a specialist in the 110-meter hurdles. Having arrived two days ago, the young man has already gotten into the habit of this astonishing custom, and proudly wears his first two pins on his accreditation – one of which bears the image of the Olympic rings. Behind him stretch the 50 hectares of the Olympic Village, created especially for the event to accommodate the 15,000 athletes and their teams. In this immense enclosure, closed to journalists and the public, the Polish athlete and his teammate are just beginning to get used to the famous cardboard beds, to communal life and to the sometimes shaky organization of the first days – that very morning, he says he was stuck in a non-air-conditioned bus, whose driver had taken the wrong route.
No matter: the experience is too good to be spoiled by a few minor itinerary hiccups. “Here, you can come across legendary athletes! We haven’t seen Rafael Nadal yet, but that would be a dream,” says Jakub Szymanski before getting on his bike to reach the well-guarded entrance to the Village. Considered by the athletes as an emblematic element of the Olympic experience, the place fuels its share of fantasies at each competition. The athletes themselves enjoy this closed-door meeting with its very special atmosphere, which some describe to L’Express as “a kind of big family reunion.” “I didn’t really know what to expect, but from the first few days, I had stars in my eyes. Just walking around, I see very high-level athletes, and I realize that I’m participating in the same competition as them, it’s crazy,” says Regan Rathwell, a 20-year-old Canadian swimmer, who is participating in her first Olympic Games this year.
Gwendal Bisch, a French diver met in the Village district, shares the same excitement. “What’s absolutely crazy here is the proximity: you can meet anyone at any time, ask questions to superstars, learn a lot of things from their experience,” he describes. Three days after the ceremony, he still smiles when talking about his fashion show alongside judoka Teddy Riner or the Karabatic brothers, pillars of the French handball team. His teammate Naïs Gillet is not to be outdone: in the Village, she has already had the chance to meet tennis players Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev. “Beyond the big names, it’s also an incredible pleasure to meet up in the evening with athletes from all over the world to play basketball, table football or pétanque. Even if the atmosphere remains serious and focused,” she adds.
Marriage proposal and unexpected selfies
The general euphoria of the first few days is far from making athletes forget the pressure of sporting performance. Fantasies about big late nights or incessant parties are quickly denied by the inhabitants of the Village. “Everyone here remains extremely focused, because the competition is not over. For those who have already finished, I imagine that the parties are rather organized in the center of Paris, so as not to disturb the others”, says Kira Toussaint, a Dutch swimmer. Unlike the Tokyo Olympics, where athletes could not leave the Olympic Village due to Covid, it is not uncommon to come across athletes in the bars of Saint-Denis or in the corridors of the surrounding metro stations. Like Leonel Maciel, an Argentinian handball player seated at a table on the terrace of a café. “We are all very focused and absorbed in the competition, but that doesn’t prevent some beautiful moments,” confesses the athlete, who witnessed a rather moving scene a few days earlier. In front of the entire Argentine delegation, his teammate Pablo Simonet proposed to his compatriot Maria Pilar Compoy, a field hockey player.
The same strong emotion for New Zealand rugby player Michaela Blyde, who had the opportunity to meet her idol at the Olympic Village thanks to social networks. After being moved, on video, to have seen Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the refectory, the rugby player was surprised to be contacted by the superstar on Instagram. The two women ended up meeting in person in the Village, under the amused gaze – and the cameras – of their teammates. Published on TikTok, the video has already reached 5.5 million views. And this sharing of energy seems to have brought luck to the New Zealander, who won the gold medal with her team on July 30, during the women’s rugby sevens events.
Athletes aren’t the only ones to realize their dreams of meeting sports legends: Sylvie, a volunteer at the weightlifting training room and passionate about the discipline, had the chance to meet weightlifter Rosina Randafiarison, vice-world champion in the under 45 kilo category, in person. “It’s great to have taken a photo with her, to have spoken to her. Everyone is open and smiling, it’s very pleasant,” she confides. At her side, Camille confirms the “crazy” atmosphere that reigns in the Olympic Village, between the athletes, their teams, volunteers and employees, all united by “the love of sport”. “I think some of them must get along well, since I’ve heard of hundreds of thousands of condoms distributed in the Village!” he says with a smile.
An exam taken “between two laundry carts”
To pass the time between competitions and training sessions, many activities have also been set up by the organizers. A coach of the French artistic gymnastics team is delighted with the yoga classes organized every morning “where you can meet athletes”, the caricature sessions offered by artists “like in Montmartre”, or even a “piano concert” that will be organized soon. In the heart of the village, a police station, a post office and a hair salon are also available to occupants. “It’s non-stop: we do shaves, haircuts and manicures,” says Justine Gaubert, in charge of this temporary salon. Between “2,000 and 3,000 athletes” have already passed through the fingers of her 15 employees for free, including superstars like runner Kevin Mayer. “We have a lot of men who come to have their beards trimmed to be perfect on the big day, and a lot of women who come to have their nails painted in the colours of their flags… It’s a real tradition at the Olympics!” explains the hairdresser.
With 3,000 apartments and nearly 15,000 beds, the Village’s logistics are also running like clockwork. The Accor group, responsible for cleaning the rooms and supporting the athletes, does everything it can to meet their sometimes unexpected requests. An American athlete, who had to take her university exam remotely, was directed by Accor to a cleaning room, where she was able to take her oral exam by video without the risk of being disturbed. “It may seem surprising, but it was one of the quietest places in the Village! We found her a Wi-Fi key, and she took her exam between two laundry carts,” says Tony Vasselin, Village operations director at Accor. The same tailor-made support was provided for an athlete who was uncomfortable with ironing, just before the opening ceremony. “One of our hostesses taught her in five minutes how to iron her uniform so it would be perfect in the evening,” reports the director.
“Muffin mania” and star chefs
Since the start of the competition, the Olympic restaurant has also been at the heart of all the discussions – some athletes deeming the quantity of food or the speed of replenishment insufficient. “It’s true that the first few days, the queues were quite long. When we came back late from swimming training, a lot of the dishes were no longer available. But all that has now been sorted out,” assures swimmer Kira Toussaint. “I think the food is great! We even have Michelin-starred chefs, it’s huge to have this possibility,” says diver Gwendal Bisch, while chefs Akrame Benallal, Amandine Chaignot and Alexandre Mazzia offer, each day and in turn, a culinary show to athletes who would like to discover their signature dishes.
With more than 40,000 meals served each day, the service provider Sodexo Live tells L’Express that certain products, such as eggs and grilled meats, were in fact “particularly popular with athletes” at the start of the competition. “The volumes were therefore immediately increased. For several days now, the quantities offered for these products have made it possible to meet all needs,” it is specified. One surprising dish is also particularly appreciated by athletes: a “130-gram maxi chocolate muffin”, made popular by Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen. On social networks, the young man has shown his love for this pastry, which he consumes without moderation.
The hype worked: while some of his videos have been viewed by more than 11 million people, 2,000 chocolate muffins are reportedly eaten every day in the Village, according to Sodexo Live. And over the entire Games, 100,000 cakes are expected to be served. Henrik Christiansen was ultimately eliminated in the 800-meter swim heats on July 29, finishing sixth. Renamed “Muffin Man” on social media, the Norwegian has, however, inherited a solid community of more than 285,000 subscribers on TikTok, and unexpected media exposure – contributing his stone to the edifice of small anecdotes and great legends of the Olympic Village.
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