27.12.2012 // 10:20 //
Let’s preface this post by saying Americans are spoiled. ( - . reeder)
We love excess and glamour and even those of us who don’t have much still have more that a lot of people in a lot of other countries.
So, it wasn’t a big surprise that Americans – at least us here in our comfy confines stateside – scoffed when a video surfaced of the barren conditions athletes have to live in during their stay in Sochi.
Basically, each athlete gets on one twin bed, a bedside table, a lamp, a chair, a wardrobe, a wire stand to share, two bath towels, and a hand towel. But they also get a lot of extra space for their gear and a pretty fantastic view.
These rooms are actually better than the ones given to athletes during the summer Olympics in London in 2012. Two years ago, athletes complained that the beds were too small and the rooms were even smaller. Not to mention, the rooms had no air conditioning with temperatures reaching the high 80s.
However, the Vancouver and Beijing Olympics both offered very nice accommodations that were actually turned into luxury apartments after the athletes vacated the premises. The apartments in Beijing, which have a similar look to the rooms in Russia, are selling for upward of $750,000.
While the rooms themselves might appear plain, there are plenty of common areas for athletes to hang out, mingle and have a good time. From a game room to a McDonald’s to an athletes lounge stocked with foods from home.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!
http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-p...bare-essentials-191708554.html
