Skaters are no strangers to chaos, and at the Olympics, they’ve landed right in the middle of it.
The Olympic Village has a long-running reputation for wild after-hours and with skateboarders now part of the mix, things are bound to get even crazier.
The late-night game rooms, the unexpected friendships, and, of course, the 10,000 condoms are all part of what makes the Village more than just a place to sleep.
Kevin Garnett recently shared some stories from his Olympic experience, back when NBA players still stayed in the Village. He described an atmosphere that was equal parts high-level training and full-on social experiment.
Imagine thousands of the world’s most elite athletes, all at their peak, packed into one place with no obligations once their events wrapped up. That much energy had to go somewhere, and let’s just say the organizers came prepared.
Before NBA players were moved to hotels, they were right in the middle of the action. Garnett talked about intense rivalries that extended past the competition and a level of partying that eventually led officials to separate basketball players from the rest of the crowd. Stories from past Games include everything from spontaneous hot tub meet-ups to athletes hooking up out in the open.
Now, with skaters bringing their own brand of unpredictability, the Village is about to get a new kind of energy. Unlike traditional Olympic athletes who have spent years in strict training programs, skaters have always thrived in unstructured environments. They’re here to represent their countries, sure, but they’re also here to live in the moment.
As we previously reported, the Paris Olympics has introduced so-called "anti-sex" beds - cardboard-framed setups that some believe are meant to discourage extracurricular activities.
But here’s the thing: these beds, made by Airweave, can actually hold over 200kg, so if the goal was to stop athletes from getting too cozy, it might not work out as planned.
And it’s not like they’re being left unprepared. According to reports, officials distributed 450,000 condoms to the 10,500 athletes expected in Brazil, the day the Olympic Village opened, said Lucas Dantas, a spokesman for the Rio 2016 Committee who spoke with AFP on Thursday.
With Covid-era restrictions from the Tokyo Games lifted, the kind of unpredictable atmosphere Garnett described could be back in full swing. Whether it’s NBA stars from the past or skaters today, one thing hasn’t changed. The Olympic Village isn’t just about competition. The real action happens after the cameras turn off.