Gold Medal Winning Swimmer Found Sleeping in a Park After Complaining About Conditions of Olympic Village

Italian swimmer Thomas Ceccon was seen sleeping outside in a park after previously criticizing the conditions of the Olympic Village.

Ceccon, who won the gold medal in the men’s 100-meter backstroke, has been vocal in his displeasure with the athletes’ living conditions. After failing to qualify for the 200-meter backstroke final, he cited those conditions as a major factor in his competition readiness.

“There is no air conditioning in the village, it’s hot, the food is bad,” he said in a report from The Sun. “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.”

Ceccon further explained that back home, he normally sleeps in the afternoon. Due to “the heat and the noise,” however, he’s struggled to maintain that routine.

In an effort to combat those conditions, Ceccon decided to move his afternoon rest to the park. Saudi Arabian rower Husein Alireza capture the moment on Instagram with the caption “Rest today, conquer tomorrow.”

In the post, Ceccon can be seen resting right next to a park bench. He placed a towel down so he didn’t have to sleep directly on the grass.

Ceccon isn’t the only athlete who’s been upset with the Olympic Village. As noted by The Sun, the entire U.S. women’s tennis team — including star Coco Gauff — left the Village because the living quarters were “too cramped.”

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