Coco Gauff disclosed that she is the sole athlete from the American women’s tennis team still residing in the Olympic Village after her fellow teammates opted for a hotel stay.
The 20-year-old shared a revealing TikTok video on Saturday, showcasing the living conditions athletes face in the newly constructed $1.6 billion facility, where ten women are sharing just two bathrooms.
The lively clip featured several Team USA members styling their hair, applying makeup, and getting ready for the first day of events at the 2024 Paris Games.
’10 girls, two bathrooms #olympicvillage,’ she captioned the video, prompting numerous viewers to comment on how confined the area appeared.
‘I would go to a hotel,’ one viewer remarked, to which she replied, ‘all the tennis girls moved to a hotel except me. so now just 5 girls two bathrooms.’
Coco Gauff exposed the athletes’ very close quarters inside the Olympic Village in Paris
The tennis star revealed that 10 women were sharing just two bathrooms in her corridor
Despite the cramped conditions, Gauff mentioned that she is having a great time in the village, which will host thousands of athletes from around the globe for the next two weeks.
‘Well, it’s only 5 girls now, so I have the room to myself. My roommates are very chill. I love it,’ she explained.
Another follower voiced concerns about her comfort after it was revealed that athletes would be sleeping on beds constructed from cardboard.
‘The archery team lent me a mattress topper,’ she added.
This situation unfolds amid a backlash against Australia’s Olympic Committee, which upset swimmers by announcing they could remain in the village for only 48 hours after their events before being required to find their own accommodations or fly home.
Moreover, Aussie water polo player Tilly Kearns and her teammate Gabi Palm have publicly criticized the village’s cardboard bed frames.
The chaotic clip showed members of Team USA doing their hair, makeup, and getting dressed
Athletes in the village will sleep on a small bed supported by a cardboard bed frame
‘I already had a massage to relieve the discomfort,’ Kearns complained on social media, while Palm added, ‘My back is about to break.’
Team USA’s Olympic Village Director Daniel Smith previously told People that athletes can choose to stay in the Village or not.
Numerous prominent athletes, including LeBron James and Stephen Curry from the men’s basketball team, have opted for off-site luxury accommodations.
‘If a sport decides to forgo the village stay, they must arrange their own lodging and handle hotel contracts themselves,’ Smith stated earlier this week.
Gauff has opted to stay in the village after being named a flag bearer in the opening ceremony
‘One issue with that arrangement is that you are essentially outside the secure environment, and Paris 2024 won’t provide transportation to your specific hotel,’ he continued.
‘All meals and additional logistics that come with staying in the Village are your responsibility if you choose to stay elsewhere.’
Unlike many other facilities being utilized during the 2024 Games, the Olympic Village was specifically designed to accommodate over 10,000 athletes.
Once the event concludes, the area will be repurposed into a residential and commercial neighborhood.
Earlier this week, Gauff stood proudly alongside James as one of the two flag bearers for Team USA during the opening ceremony.
‘I never imagined in a million years that I would have the privilege of carrying the American flag for Team USA during the opening ceremony,’ the Grand Slam champion expressed in a statement.
‘I couldn’t be more proud to lead my teammates with LeBron as we express our commitment and passion on this grand stage.’
