Olympic dream turned nightmare: Athletes face thefts and poor living conditions

Numerous athletes and coaches residing in the Olympic Village have reported the loss of their personal belongings to the police, according to the French newspaper Le Parisien.

In total, there have been 5 theft complaints within the Olympic Village. A Japanese rugby sevens player filed a complaint about the theft of cash and jewelry from his room, after losing his ring, necklace, and €3,000 in cash.

The previous day, Colin Batch, the coach of the Australian national hockey team, lost his bank card after his bank contacted him following a suspicious transaction of 1,500 Australian dollars in his account.

There is no police station within the Olympic Village; cases are handled by officers from the nearest police station.

The Paris Criminal Police has been involved in investigating the incidents, but the lack of surveillance cameras in the athletes’ accommodations and the reluctance of some athletes to testify have complicated the investigation, the RT Arabic website reported.

Approximately ten thousand athletes and five thousand coaches are living in the Olympic Village.

Earlier, three-time Olympic champion, Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, criticized the living conditions in the Olympic Village and was unable to surpass her personal best. Other athletes have also expressed dissatisfaction with the conditions provided in the Paris 2024 Olympic Village.

British athletes have complained about the lack and poor quality of food, while South Korean swimmers have left the village due to poor transportation logistics.

French media previously reported thefts that occurred outside the Olympic Village. On July 24, the belongings of Argentine midfielder Thiago Almada were stolen.

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