- Athletes at the Tokyo
Olympics are posting TikToks to show life in theOlympic Village . - They sleep on cardboard beds, and some of the athletes are too tall to fit in the showers.
- They must follow COVID-19 safety guidelines in the village, including in the two dining halls.
The Olympic Village, where athletes go to refuel and rest when they're not competing, is often shrouded in mystery.
This year, however, athletes are giving fans unprecedented access to their living quarters by making TikTok videos about Tokyo's sprawling Olympic Village, which can house up to 11,000 athletes.
Here's what seven Olympians said it's like.
On some teams - like the men's USA volleyball team - the more seasoned players get their own rooms, while the younger athletes share
There are 3,600 rooms across 21 residential towers in the village, Insider's Scott Davis previously reported. Teams stay together in apartments that measure approximately 1,200 square feet, and each team gets to decide how many people are in a room.
Erik Shoji, a volleyball player on Team USA, showed off his team's suite, which has several rooms and a makeshift kitchen. The team gave the older players their own rooms.
@thelibero Olympic Village Room Tour! #olympics #tokyo2020 #tokyo2021 #roomtour
♬ Permission to Dance - BTS
Their beds are made from recyclable cardboard, but they're not that easy to break
@caffarof Trying the Olympic cardboard beds with 480 pounds ✅ #olympics #olympics2020 #olympics2021 #tokyo #tokyo2020 #tokyo2021 #argentina #arg #basketball
♬ Ball If I Want To - DaBaby
Francisco Caffaro, who is part of the Argentine men's basketball team, jumped on the bed with his teammate, proving that even 480 pounds won't break the cardboard.
Team Israel's Ben Wanger showed it actually takes nine men to break one of the beds.
Some of the Olympians can't fit in the bathroom showers
@caffarof Olympic village bathrooms #olympics #olympics2020 #olympics2021 #tokyo #tokyo2020 #tokyo2021 #argentina #basketball #arg #tall
♬ Beggin' - Måneskin
Caffaro is 6ft 9 and cannot fit in his suite's shower. When he steps into the tub, his head hits the ceiling.
The bathrooms also come with bidets. Remedy Rule, a swimmer for the Philippines, posted detailed instructions for the bidets so athletes can properly use them.
@be.the.remedy if u got on our hands, would you just wipe it off with tp? #showerthoughts #moreliketoiletthoughts #tokyo2021
♬ original sound - Remedy Rule
When the athletes want to leave their rooms and can't go to their venue, they train at the High Performance Center
@thelibero Team USA High Performance Center #olympics #tokyo2020 #tokyo2021 #LeadWithLove #DontQuitYourDaydream
♬ original sound - Erik Shoji
Shoji, of Team USA, gave a tour, showing off the lounges,
Otherwise, athletes find any corner they can to practice
@thelibero It’s game day! #olympics #usavolleyball #tokyo2020 #tokyo221
♬ STAY - The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber
Shoji said his team only gets one hour before their game to practice at the venue, so they practice outside wherever they can.
Plus, there's an entertainment center where athletes can hang out
@codymelphy Reply to @joe.yoshida5 do we hang out with other countries? #tokyo2020 #olympics #tokyoolympics
♬ SUNNY DAY - Matteo Rossanese
Cody Melphy, a rugby player on Team USA, called the entertainment center the Olympics' "best-kept secret." It has table tennis, arcade games, and large TVs.
When it's time to eat, athletes head to the main dining hall, which has over 700 menu items
@tomdaley TOUR OF THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE! #olympics #tokyo2020 #tokyo #olympicvillage
♬ original sound - Tom Daley
Since there are thousands of Olympians from different countries with different dietary restrictions, the dining hall has hundreds of options.
The dining hall is one of the places where large groups of athletes congregate, so there are a ton of safety protocols
@tillykearns Olympic dining hall COVID protocols #olympicspirit #tokyoolympics #olympics #australia what else do you want to see??
♬ Say So (Instrumental Version) [Originally Performed by Doja Cat] - Elliot Van Coup
Tilly Kearns, an Australian water polo player, demonstrated how athletes sanitize their hands and eat behind plexiglass.
There's a second dining hall, which only serves casual Japanese food
@thelibero Dinner tonight in the Tokyo Olympic Village! Also watching me eat is CRINGE #olympics #DontQuitYourDaydream #tokyo2020 #tokyo2021 #food
♬ original sound - Erik Shoji
This dining hall has everything from rice balls to grilled pork, which Shoji said is "pretty good."
There are vending machines where athletes can get free Coca-Cola drinks any time of day
@codymelphy Reply to @joe.yoshida5 do we hang out with other countries? #tokyo2020 #olympics #tokyoolympics
♬ SUNNY DAY - Matteo Rossanese
"This might be the coolest thing about the Olympic Village," Melphy said in a TikTok video.
Each athlete on Team USA is given two duffel bags to bring home all the free products they get while in the village
@codymelphy Reply to @taylonnieder they take care of us very well! Thanks @olympics @teamusa @usarugby #tokyo2020
♬ Beggin' - Måneskin
The Olympians get a ton of swag, including branded clothing, sunglasses, and even headphones. Melphy said they don't have to pay for the bags to be shipped home.
It's a good thing the athletes get free clothing because they have to wear Olympic gear at all times while in the village
@samfrickerr Answer to @lauren11carter #olympicspirit #olympics #tokyotogether #japan
♬ Beggin' - Måneskin
Sam Fricker, a diver on Team Australia, said he has to wear his Olympic outfit all day long, but he isn't mad about it.
"Hey, when I go home, I'll probably be wearing it still anyway because I love it," Fricker said.
In another video, he explained that Olympians were each given a laundry bag for dirty clothes. They can drop them off at the laundry service and pick up their clean clothes a couple of hours later.
Each morning, athletes have to take a COVID-19 test
@samfrickerr Have do a COVID Test Every Mroning #olympics #tokyo #japan
♬ Intro - The xx
Fricker said he does a spit test first thing every morning.
Athletes are not allowed to leave the Olympic Village to explore Tokyo
@samfrickerr Answer to @_michaellockee #olympicspirit #olympics #tokyo ✅
♬ BEE GEES VS 50 cent - Eric
Fricker said the athletes are "in a bit of a bubble" while in the village and must stay there to prevent the spread of coronavirus.