Inside the Milan Olympic Village: Real beds and other perks

The Olympic Village rises above the security fences that surround it, a collection of structures both temporary and permanent where the athletes will reside over the next two-plus weeks at the Milan-Cortina Games.

Out on the sidewalk and behind barriers, lookie-loos crane their necks for a peek at the competitors, while pin traders mill through the churning crowd in hopes of making a souvenir swap.

But what’s it like inside the Village, where the medal hopefuls work out, mingle and relax before some of the biggest moments of their young lives?

“The best part is the food,” said Micah Moore, bobsledder from Trinidad and Tobago, echoing what people have said for centuries about Italy. “Nutrition is so important. And everything you see is free.”

Ah, yes, gratis. That’s a common theme in the Olympic Village, where corporate sponsors of the Games have gotten creative with their free goods and services — and swag bags — for the athletes.

There are multiple rooms devoted to gaming, with virtual-reality glasses over here, and “Call of Duty” over there, and overstuffed chairs and couches everywhere. There are the typical role-playing video games, along with virtual tennis and dirtbike riding, but conspicuously absent are any winter sports. Organizers explain the rooms are meant to be an escape from that all-encompassing world.

Speaking of escapes, Corona Cero — the non-alcoholic version of that beer — has constructed a pair of round, glass-roofed wooden structures that feel like part-ski lodge, part-yurt and are filled with plants and comfortable seats and soft music where the athletes can kick back with a chilled beverage. (It has been mild weather for a Milan winter.)

There are rolled-up yoga mats in the corner, and a chalkboard outside lists times for a breathwork class with Sarah, a soundbath session with Guilia, and restorative yoga and meditation in the afternoon.

Not far away, and made of similar wood, is a wagon labeled the Cero (“zero”) Stress Plant Shop. There, an athlete can adopt a houseplant for the duration of his or her stay, nurturing it for a couple weeks before it’s donated to a local charity, perhaps for auction. The competitor is given a pack of seeds upon departure to grow the same plant at home.

Four-time Olympian Madison Chock said she was “pleasantly surprised” the competitors could foster plants. She said the plant that she shares with husband/ice dance partner Evan Bates is named “Stenry,” a combination of their dogs’ names, Stella and Henry. She said the plant is thriving, although she doesn’t know the variety, only that it’s dangly and has leaves that cascade down like a waterfall.

Of course, sitting around and watching plants grow can get a little dull. This week, the arriving athletes seemed more interested in getting accustomed to their free Samsung phones and using their own hand gestures to direct a robotic hand behind glass to pick up a plastic ball encasing a mystery Olympic pin. The AI demonstration by Alibaba Cloud is a futuristic version of those arcade games where you maneuver a metal claw to grab a stuffed animal.

The Olympics is filled with young, beautiful athletes, so it’s no wonder two of the more popular pop-ups in the Village provide skin and haircare products and services. KIKO Milano has cosmetic stations where athletes can schedule makeup appointments — very popular before the Opening Ceremonies — and Procter & Gamble has built a “Champions Clubhouse” for scalp massages, hair washing and styling, along with barbers for personalized shaving and beard care.

There are P&G swag bags of course — some athletes arrived without any toiletries — and KIKO engraves complimentary tubes of lipstick with the names of competitors.

Coca-Cola takes that engraving process a step further with a machine that snaps a photo of the user, then embosses that picture onto the iconic red can of soda.

Beyond the keepsakes, the Olympic organizers have gotten an essential right in the Village. Gone are the flimsy cardboard bedframes of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, held during the coronavirus pandemic.

There was speculation at the time that those beds were designed to discourage casual sex among the competitors because the frames would break apart at the slightest provocation. Organizers brushed off those rumors, heralding the beds as sturdy and eco-friendly.

Regardless, when she arrived at this year’s Olympic Village, Britain figure skater Phebe Bekker posted a Tik-Tok video from her room that answered a popular question among the athletes, many of whom found the cardboard beds uncomfortable.

“We’re looking good,” she said, knocking on her wooden bedframe and testing the mattress. “Heard it here first, there are no cardboard beds, as far as I know.”

Just like the slogan of that popular soft drink. It’s the real thing.

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