The Athletes' Village, where the soon-to-be heroes of Rio 2016 will stay for the Olympic Games.
The Athletes' Village, where the soon-to-be heroes of Rio 2016 will stay for the Olympic Games.
Tom McGowan
Whichever way you look, the mountains that surround Rio create a stunning backdrop.
Whichever way you look, the mountains that surround Rio create a stunning backdrop.
Tom McGowan
The village caters for all of the athletes' needs and even has its own florist.
The village caters for all of the athletes' needs and even has its own florist.
Tom McGowan
Too busy competing to wash your clothes? There's a dry cleaners on site.
Too busy competing to wash your clothes? There's a dry cleaners on site.
Tom McGowan
Need to stock up on essentials? Head to the village grocery store.
Need to stock up on essentials? Head to the village grocery store.
Tom McGowan
Fed up of the food in the canteen? Get to the back of the long line for a McDonald's.
Fed up of the food in the canteen? Get to the back of the long line for a McDonald's.
Tom McGowan
Not got the time to hit the Copacabana? Feel the sand between your toes right outside your front door.
Not got the time to hit the Copacabana? Feel the sand between your toes right outside your front door.
Tom McGowan
Need to perfect your Opening Ceremony look? Get your hair and nails done at the salon.
Need to perfect your Opening Ceremony look? Get your hair and nails done at the salon.
Tom McGowan
Men's grooming is also available for those looking for a trim ahead of their big day.
Men's grooming is also available for those looking for a trim ahead of their big day.
Tom McGowan
Jamaicans Danniel Thomas and Daina Levy are loving life in the village, despite some hiccups.
Jamaicans Danniel Thomas and Daina Levy are loving life in the village, despite some hiccups.
Tom McGowan
Swimmers Irene Prescott (right) and Evelina Afoa, of Tonga and Samoa respectively, are staying in the same building as the Australians, although they didn't experience any problems with the facilities upon their arrival in Brazil.
Swimmers Irene Prescott (right) and Evelina Afoa, of Tonga and Samoa respectively, are staying in the same building as the Australians, although they didn't experience any problems with the facilities upon their arrival in Brazil.
Tom McGowan
Inside the Olympic Village

Story highlights

The athletes' village is home to Rio 2016's Olympians

It has a florist, a grocery store and even a McDonald's

But there have been a few snagging problems

London CNN  — 

You know what it’s like when you move home. As you settle into your new accommodation you start to notice a bunch of snags that had completely escaped your notice when you’d taken that cursory tour of your new desirable residence.

So just imagine training all your life to make it to the Olympic Games only to arrive and find out half the facilities don’t work as you prepare for the most important event in your career.

That’s what happened to dozens of athletes staying at the Athletes’ Village in Rio de Janeiro.

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    • But credit where credit is due – teams and individuals have shown an impressive can do spirit in dealing with what has been thrown at them.

    Plumbing

    While the water’s gone all green at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center, it appears there was rather a lack of it in the Athletes’ Village ahead of the Games’ start.

    Although most of the problems seem to have been fixed by now by the local organizing committee, a number of athletes’ social media feeds were akin to watching a TV house makeover program in revealing just what needed to be done.

    The Chinese Olympic team, which sent 405 athletes to Rio, was one of the first countries to highlight the village’s plumbing snags.

    Australia’s chef de mission, Kitty Chiller, complained of “blocked toilets, leaking pipes, exposed wiring, darkened stairwells where no lighting has been installed and dirty floors in need of a massive clean,” and said her team wouldn’t move in until it was fixed.

    Despite these setbacks, Australians finally settled in. The Aussies were in the same building as Evelina Afoa and Irene Prescott, swimmers from Samoa and Tonga respectively.

    “Our rooms were fine,” Prescott, who’s competing in 50 meters freestyle, told CNN. “We’re staying in the same building with the Aussies. It’s actually fine.”

    Hat tip though to Australian basketball player Andrew Bogut, who showed he was a dab hand with a needle and thread.

    And credit to the Chinese delegation for the superb teamwork they showed in fixing their shower curtain problem.

    Meanwhile Brazilian judoka Claudio Lima encountered an internal cul-de-sac in the village.

    Stuck in a lift

    On Sunday August 7, horror of horrors the village lost TV and wifi. Just how did those thousands of athletes cope?

    That Sunday in the village also proved an eventful day for tennis star Juan Martin del Potro ahead of his first round win over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic after the Argentine was stuck in a Olympic village lift for 40 minutes, before he was rescued by his compatriots in the handball team.

    READ MORE: Rio 2016 Athletes’ Village: A salon, a florist … even a McDonald’s

    Maybe the men’s and the women’s US basketball teams were on to something by opting to stay on a luxury cruise ship.
    The Rio 2016 organizing committee was not immediately available for comment on the various snags of the athletes’ village when contacted by CNN