Drama gets the gold at the Paris Olympics

The Olympics has always been the epitome of sports entertainment, but this year, the drama is so juicy it could be its own reality TV show.

Don’t worry, I’ve spent the last week compiling a list of all the best drama so you know exactly what’s going on behind the scenes in Paris.

First, let’s talk accommodations. Paris opted for eco-friendly lodging for the 11,000 athletes. While the sustainability is good for the environment, it’s proved disastrous for the athletes.

The narrow twin-sized beds are made of cardboard and are rock hard. Each athlete are provided only one pillow. U.S gymnastics star Simone Biles said “the bed sucks.”

Celia Dupre, a Swiss rower, vented in a video saying, “You think you’d have some priorities when it comes to recovery and performance. It’s like they don’t want us to get good sleep. Like I slept on that thing and it was so hard.” The team has since left the village for hotel accommodations.

U.S. tennis player Coco Gauff posted a viral video showing the two bathrooms the 10 girls were sharing. Five of them decided to leave and pay for their own lodging elsewhere.

The U.S. men’s basketball team hasn’t stayed at the olympic village since prior to 1992.

U.S. track and field athlete Chari Hawkins posted a video showing the view out of her window where she could look into the windows of dozens of rooms across the way. The athletes were provided no curtains or blinds. She showed how she precariously hangs up a blanket and changes “as fast as humanly possible,” hoping the blanket doesn’t fall down.

Going into this Olympics, many were worried about the chances for searing heat. Europe endured a record number of “extreme heat stress” days in 2023, the European Union’s Copernicus climate monitoring service and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said. The July 2023 heatwave pushed 41% of southern Europe into strong, very strong or extreme heat stress. Heat-related deaths in Europe have soared by about 30% in the past 20 years, the report said.

That being said, you’d think the Olympic committee would be prepared to keep its athletes cool. But instead, they continued their sustainability pilgrimage, building a geothermal cooling system instead of traditional air conditioning. The committee said the system will keep athletes at least 10 degrees cooler than outside temperatures.

With temperatures hitting 97 degrees, that 10 degrees cooler doesn’t seem too comfortable.

“Don’t come for me about my hair,” Biles posted on Instagram before the gymnastics team final. “IT WAS DONE but bus has NO AC and it’s like 9,000 degrees. Oh & a 45 minutes ride.”

Finally, the committee agreed to allow air conditioning units be brought in by athletes or countries. Australia, Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Greece and Italy are among the large Olympic delegations who will be providing AC for their athletes in Paris.

Not only are athletes overheated and under-rested, they aren’t being provided proper food. The biggest complaint has been around the quantity of protein like eggs and grilled meats available.

The Great Britain team was especially vocal about the quality and quantity of the food after British Olympic Association Chief Executive Andy Anson said there was an insufficient amount of protein and carbohydrates as well as raw meat being served to athletes. The team has been advised not to eat any of the food.

Continuing the sustainability emphasis, Sodexo reports plant-based options account for more than 60% of the available food for sale at Olympic venues. Athletes have noted getting a single piece of chicken to be difficult during peak times.

Paris CEO Etinne Thobois said they’ve since made some adjustments. “There has been a reinforcement in animal proteins with 700 kilos of eggs and a ton of meat (available) to meet the demands of the athletes, who we place at the heart of the Paris 2024 experience,” he said.

OK, that was a lot of drama around Olympic village. But don’t worry, there’s plenty more tea to spill.

It started with the controversial opening ceremony where a scantily-clad man painted in blue emerged at the center of a table to sing among dancing drag queens.

Many Christians and conservatives condemned the scene as a parody of Leonardo Da Vinci’s famed Last Supper painting. However, organizers claim the display was an homage to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.

Artistic director Thomas Jolly spoke to French outlet BFMTV after the opening ceremony and denied that “The Last Supper” even served as a reference. Instead, Jolly said the idea was to “have a grand pagan festival connected to the gods of Olympus” as the tableau prominently featured a version of Dionysus.

Despite this explanation, celebrities like Rob Schneider and Candace Cameron Bure have denounced the performance as “satanic” and refused to watch the games.

The Netherlands has a beach volleyball athlete, Steven Van de Velde, who is a convicted child rapist. Not alleged, not accused — convicted. He admitted to raping a 12-year-old British girl who he traveled from Amsterdan to England to meet. Van de Velde ended up serving only 13 months before being released in 2017. His name remains on the United Kingdom’s sex offender registry.

The Dutch Olympic Committee defended its decision to let van de Velde play, saying in a statement that “a lot has happened since” the 2016 assault and that he had “grown and positively changed his life.” The crowd didn’t agree, loud boos coming from the audience when he stepped on the court.

The Canadian soccer team had two coaches sent home after a cheating scandal where assistant coach Joseph Lombardi was caught using a drone to spy on New Zealand’s practices before their opening game. Lombardi, fellow assistant Jasmine Maner and head coach Bev Priestman were also suspended for one year. The team was also docked six points which has a huge impact on Olympic standings.

The triathlon athletes have had practices canceled and events postponed due to the Seine River’s poor water quality. Despite a $1.5 billion investment to rid the river of pollutants and make it safe for swimming, there were high levels of E. coli, a bacteria indicating fecal contamination, in the water.

When athletes were able to compete Wednesday, the currents proved to be an even bigger obstacle. “There was one point where I thought they would have to pull us all out,” American’s Taylor Spivey said after placing 10th.

OK, let’s end on a couple positive notes. America has a new hero after the men’s gymnastics team won their first medal in 16 years. Stephen Nedoroscik, a pommel horse specialist and self-proclaimed “nerd” won the hearts of many after his radiant positivity and stunning performance.

All day, Nedoroscik waiting for his chance to perform. He was the last athlete to compete, and it was up to him to secure the elusive medal. He was likened to Clark Kent after removing his glasses and jacket to reveal the athlete within. He scored a 14.866 on a great performance. The team’s celebration with him was so special.

Lastly, U.S. celebrities have been dubbed “hype men” for different sports. It started with rapper Snoop Dogg wearing custom T-shirts with different athletes’ faces. He was seen celebrating in the stands during swimming and dancing during gymnastics. Food for thought — the cameras cut to Snoop many times and no one has complained. Let’s remember that this football season when the camera cuts to Taylor Swift during Chiefs games.

Another rapper, Flavor Flav has been a big cheerleader for the U.S. women’s water polo team. It extends beyond cheering as he’s made a contribution to Olympic team, demonstrating his commitment to supporting these elite athletes as they strive for Olympic gold in Paris. The Americans will face France Friday.

Retired Eagles center Jason Kelce was recently seen in a video with the U.S. women’s rugby team. “You are a girl dad,” rugby star Ilona Maher said to Kelce in a Tik Tok video. “Do you get anything for being our super fan? No. There’s no award, no money, no benefits.”

Despite the lack of payment, Kelce announced himself as a women’s rugby super fan. Tuesday, the women won bronze in Rugby Sevens after a last-minute 14-12 upset over Australia.