'We were living in filth': Gold medallist recalls horrific experience at Paris Olympics

The Paris Olympics were a spectacle of the highest order, with athletes giving their best, but one gold medallist was not impressed by what she saw.

For Ariarne Titmus, the Olympic Games were like a dream... for the most part anyway. The gold medallist in the 400-meter freestyle and the 4x200-meter relay didn't enjoy everything about her experience in Paris, chief among them the Olympic village!

In an interview with Australian TV panel show 'The Project', the 23-year-old champion criticized the facilities used to accommodate athletes, saying they "were not designed for high performance."

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The Australian testified: "Our sheets were changed after the first night we were there, then they were not changed for the rest of our stay. We were living in filth."

According to her, these living conditions made "performance difficult". Fortunately, the swimmer anticipated this and brought her own mattress thanks to the aid of a sponsor. 

A necessary gesture, because the bedding in the Olympic Village were in shocking condition: "I was very lucky. The mattresses that were there were like tangled fishing lines," she explained.

Fortunately for the Australian athletes, the National Olympic Committee anticipated the inconvenience and provided services such as private transport, a dedicated barista, extra food and air conditioning.

Rohan Taylor, Australia's head swimming coach, said the grim reality was the same at every Olympics, telling Nine News: "The Olympics have always been a challenge. Every Olympics I've been to, every Olympics you see, is a challenge on the ability of the athletes to come here, compete and perform when it counts."

Titmus is not the only one to have complained. Her compatriot, tennis player Daria Saville, was annoyed at having to bring her own toilet paper to the bathroom.

While two water polo players, Matilda Kearns and Gabi Palm, said the beds were "hard as rocks", according to The Courier Mail. 

Ultimately, it was Rohan Taylor who had the final word: "It’s about how you deal with the environment that’s presented to you, no matter how the beds are, how the food is… everybody has to deal with it. The Olympics have always been like that and that’s the way it is. That’s the beauty of it."

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