Getty Image
Dutch skateboarder Keet Oldenbeuving competed at the Olympics in Paris this summer, but her stay in the Olympic Village is now up. She left shortly after her event ended, as many others had prior.
Receiving questions on social media about that decision to leave, she did her best to explain why. She’s setting the record straight for those criticizing!
Conditions at the Olympic Village have been poor in the eyes of many athletes. Competitors have referenced the cardboard beds and lack of air conditioning during a heat wave as major drawbacks.
Food has also been criticized, as Olympians blast the dining hall for either a lack of seasoning or a shortage of staple items altogether.
That said, many have opted to stay in hotels outside of the village this summer, but not everyone has that luxury. Those unable to seek out other options have been documenting their stays.
After hearing that athletes were eager to leave quickly after competition, fans began asking questions. Keet Oldenbeuving addressed those swift exits on TikTok, putting the narrative of poor conditions being the main concern to bed.
@keet.oldenbeuving Replying to @Iza Bella will be back in 2 days 🎉 #olympics #paris2024 #teamnl #skateboarding #olympicvillage ♬ original sound – Keet
“Ok, I’m back home from Paris, and a lot of people in the last video asked, ‘Why do we leave [the Olympic Village]?'” she started. “The way it worked for us… we had to leave the competition two days after our competitions were done. We had that one day just in case there’s a rain delay or the contest isn’t able to finish properly… and then we left the day after.
“We leave because they don’t want any athletes in the Village that are actually done, just the ones that are still in competition, so the ones that are ‘in the zone’ can stay ‘in the zone’ and not have any distractions.”
Oldenbeuving suggested that it was Olympic protocol to have athletes who’d already finished their events leave. The conditions weren’t the issue!
In fact, some are loving the Village so much they want to stay as long as possible!
While the experience has been different for each athlete, some appear to have no say on how long their stays will last. Oldenbeuving’s response should help clear up some of the confusion surrounding the issue.