While the Olympic Games act as a two-week-long party for spectators and locals, we often forget that athletes require adequate rest.
With that said, Italian swimmer Thomas Ceccon seems to be going the extra mile to get some much-needed shuteye.
Over the weekend, the 23-year-old, who won a gold medal at the 100m men’s backstroke and bronze during the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, was spotted taking a nap outside in a park near Paris’ Olympic Village.
Saudi rower Husein Alireza captured a peaceful shot of Ceccon counting sheep while laying on a towel in broad daylight and shared it to his Instagram story with the following caption:
“Rest today, conquer tomorrow.”
@huseinalireza/instagram
But what may look like an innocent cat nap in the sun actually seems to be a case of sleep deprivation.
After he failed to make the 200m backstroke final on Wednesday, Ceccon was highly critical of the conditions at Paris’ Olympic Village, which has infamously implemented flimsy cardboard beds.
“There is no air conditioning in the village, it’s hot, the food is bad,” he said as per The Sun. “Many athletes move for this reason: it’s not an alibi or excuse, it’s the reality of what perhaps not everyone knows.”
While sleeping outdoors may sound a tad dramatic (or fittingly Italian), Ceccon isn’t the only Olympian to seek comfort elsewhere.
According to The Korea Times, six members of South Korea’s swimming team checked into a hotel, concerned about potential delays with the buses transporting athletes to their events.
As for the eco-friendly beds, which Canadian rugby players famously tested in a viral video, Australian water polo player Matilda Kearns shared on social media that she “already had a massage to undo the damage” from sleeping on the mattress.
Meanwhile, American tennis star Coco Gauff revealed that many of her Team USA teammates had left the Village altogether.
“All the tennis girls moved to a hotel except me,” she commented on a Tik Tok video showcasing the cramped living quarters.