Thomas Ceccon may have won an Olympic gold medal in Paris, but it's hard to say whether a good night's sleep contributed to that.
The Italian swimmer took home the gold medal in the men's 100-meter backstroke, his first Olympic gold at just 23 years old (it was his second Games).
But he was not as successful in the 200 metres and failed to qualify for the final.
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Gold medalist Thomas Ceccon of Italy stands on the podium with silver medalist Xu Jiayu of China, left, and bronze medalist Ryan Murphy of the United States after the men's 100-meter backstroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics on July 29, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Ceccon said he was “too tired” in that semi-final.
“It's difficult to sleep both at night and in the afternoon. I have a hard time sleeping here because of the heat and the noise,” said Ceccon after the race.
Saudi Arabian rower Hussein Alireza was out walking last week when he saw Ceccon resting in the middle of the grass, simply lying on a sheet next to a bench.
Ceccon said he was taking a “nap.”
“There is no air conditioning in the village, it is hot, the food is bad,” Ceccon added about the conditions. “Many athletes travel for this reason. It is not an excuse, it is the reality of something that perhaps not everyone knows.”
Conditions in the villages are a recurring theme at every Olympic Games, but this year it has been said that meat is undercooked, food portions are insufficient and bed mattresses have been compared to cardboard.
Air conditioning has also been lacking, with many athletes bringing fans after the Games announced a more climate-friendly cooling system.
Thomas Ceccon of Team Italy is pictured after competing in the semi-finals of the men's 200m backstroke during the Olympic Games on July 31, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Yann Krysinski, who is in charge of delivering spaces and infrastructure in This summer's gamessaid in March that air conditioning units are not necessary because of the layout of the buildings.
“We designed these buildings to be comfortable places to live in the summer, in 2024 and beyond, and we don't need air conditioning in these buildings because we oriented the facades so they don't get too much sun during the summer, and the facades, the insulation is really efficient,” Krysinski told Reuters.
Gold medalist Thomas Ceccon of Team Italy stands on the podium during the medal ceremony after the men's 100m backstroke final during the Olympic Games on July 29, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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The decision is part of the organizing committee's objective reduce the carbon footprint Cutting the capacity of the Paris Games in half and staging the most sustainable Olympics yet by installing special technology to use natural sources to keep everyone cool even during a potential heatwave. But that apparently hasn't happened.
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