US swimmer Ryan Lochte has just cleared the air on one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Olympics.
The twelve-time Olympic medalist is now enjoying the Games from the comfort of his home with his family, but has reminisced on one of the most peculiar aspects of taking part in such a large-scale sports event.
During a Q&A session on his wife Kayla's TikTok, Lochte has explained why certain athletes are free to leave the Olympic Village, while others have to obtain special permission to do so.
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"What do you mean you are not allowed to leave the Olympic Village? I see all kinds of Olympic athletes leaving the Village," one fan noted on TikTok.
"Not USA swimmers," Lochte can be heard saying in the video.
His wife then asked why, to which Lochte answered, "Because that's the rule for USA swimmers."
Kayla tried to get Lochte to elaborate, saying: "USA has stricter rules than other countries, right?"
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"Yes," the swimmer simply said, to which Kayla asked, "But you can leave for certain things?"
"Nope," the former Olympian said, explaining that athletes are required to get the 'OK through the head coach' if they want to see their families in the city.
Living conditions in the Olympic village have been a hot talking point during any Olympics so far, and Paris didn't disappoint in terms of bizarre incidents in the athletes' living quarters.
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Italy's gold medal winner, swimmer Thomas Ceccon, was caught taking a nap in the park after complaining about the lack of air conditioning in the village. It didn't take long for fans to put two and two together, though it seems that the nap was nothing more than a moment of rest for the athlete and was unrelated to his previous comments about the village.
The athlete who took the video of Ceccon napping, Saudi rower Husein Alireza, spoke to UNILAD, hitting back at 'fake news' surrounding his clip.
"I want to clarify that the headlines suggesting Thomas Ceccon was napping in a random 'park' are misleading and can give the wrong impression to readers," Alireza said.
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"In reality, the location was within the Olympic Village, as I clearly tagged in the original video. Unfortunately, this detail was cropped out in some of the reports, which may have caused confusion," he continued.
"It's quite common for athletes to take naps or relax around that spot in the village, especially as it's a peaceful area by the river—an ideal spot for a quick rest amidst the intense schedule of the Olympics. I just wanted to make sure the context is accurately represented."
Stefania Sarrubba