Five things we've learned about the Paris Olympics through TikTok
Athletes at the Paris Olympics have been taking us with them through TikTok. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.
The 2024 Paris Olympics is in full swing and we've been keeping up to date with everything online, on TV, on the radio, in the papers and, of course, through social media.
Unlike other years, however, we seem to be getting a lot more behind-the-scenes content from athletes bringing us along through their TikTok accounts.
Here is what we’ve learned so far from #OlympicTok.
We have gotten a possibly unprecedented look into the Olympic Village and what exactly can be found there. Spread over three towns, the village hosts athletes from across the world.
Each country has their own areas and there is a host of dining options, but more on that in a moment.
USA Rugby Sevens player Cody Melphy shared a video of the things in the village that “just make sense”. In his TikTok, he shows us the laundry service, the buses that bring athletes to their games, security and even autonomous cars to bring them around the village. There are also free bikes available.
Other users have also shared footage of the gym, a mindfulness space, the village plaza which has a bar and a big screen to watch the games, as well as a merchandise store and a beauty salon. There is also a game and livestream area.
The Olympic Village has a post office for athletes to send postcards for free.
The Olympic Village has to cater for thousands of athletes and, as a result, there is a huge dining facility.
American fencer Lee Kiefer is just one of the many Olympians taking us with them to the dining hall, this time for breakfast. In her video, she explains that there are four different options – French, Asian, World and Halal.
Walking us through the area, the first stop is a hygiene station for athletes to wash their hands.
Kiefer’s video shows a few staples available all day, including peaches, bananas, apricots and white nectarines. There is a large salad bar, as well as yoghurts, cheeses and sliced mango and melon.
There also appears to be a number of sweeter treats such as cookies, crepes, pastries, baked goods and chocolate muffins, which seem to be a favourite among the Olympians on TikTok.
The breakfast in the World section stocks hot food such as fried and scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, hash browns, mushrooms, beans and tomatoes.
Other areas have the likes of prawns, dumplings, chicken, pasta and much more.
Despite all of these options, Team Ireland brought their own staple – porridge. Nutritionist Sharon Madigan, who works with the Irish Olympians, told the Irish Times: “Porridge is something that the French really don’t do very well, or don’t do at all. We are bringing oats. Lots of them.”
On top of this, throughout the village, there are vending machines for athletes to get unlimited free drinks such as water, Coca-Cola, Powerade and more. Costa Coffee also have stands around the area giving out free drinks.
The infamous cardboard beds have made a return and, despite being branded as “anti-sex” beds, are actually used in a bid for sustainability.
The beds are made from 100 per cent recyclable materials and athletes are fitted for their mattress specs, as South African rugby player Libbie Janse van Rensburg shows us on her TikTok account.
Testing the durability of the beds, she jumps up and down and onto the bed, with the structure remaining intact.
In relation to the anti-sex rumours, she said: “Not stopping anyone in my opinion.”
Some athletes have taken to TikTok to say they find the beds more comfortable than you would expect, while others have said they’re too hard.
For the likes of surfers, who are based in Tahiti, it’s a bit different.
Athletes are sleeping on cruise ships and, as German surfer Tim Elter shows, there is no cardboard to be found. Beds in the floating village are typical structures, with metal bed frames and a traditional mattress.
“We got it better than the guys in Paris,” he said.
Sharing a “day in the life” is a popular trend throughout TikTok. Whether it’s going to work, “rotting” in bed or travelling, the format does exactly what it says on the tin – shows the viewer the point of view of the creator throughout their day.
And, as we have already covered, the 2024 Paris Olympics is already giving us somewhat of an unprecedented look into the day-to-day of the athletes.
Dutch skateboarder Keet Oldenbeuving shared a day in the life of her first day in the village. We see her getting breakfast, meeting friends from other countries and cycling back to her building before taking the bus through Paris to see the skatepark for the first time.
We then see her and the other athletes having a technical meeting with the organisers. They get to see the spectator seats, which she said is “crazy” because there was no crowd for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to covid-19.
Back to the village, she visits the onsite game room and arcade before ending the video.
This is just a look into one athlete’s day, with plenty of others available.
Irish Rugby Sevens player Harry McNulty has been showing a lot of behind the scenes aspects of this Olympics, including the impressive goodie bag given to athletes.
The black tote bag has the Olympic logo on it, as well as some logos from their sponsors.
In his TikTok, McNulty goes through everything in the bag – a Powerade-branded water bottle, a pocket guide, a Coca-Cola bottle and a toiletry bag with shampoo, toothbrush and the likes.
He saves the best for last, however, as in a black box is a brand new Samsung flip phone.
Other users shared videos unboxing the phone, showing off its black and gold colour.
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