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Sochi 2014 - Venues Updates Gallery


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It looks like the interior of a youth hostel room. I mean, Olympic Village apartments have never been famous for offering extreme comfort and cosiness, but that room (and I suppose the other ones look the same) looks very loveless indeed. Just look at that simple and very functional wardrobe and those simple folding plastic chairs (you get very similar ones - if not even the same ones - for only a few bucks a piece at Ikea, by the way: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/30070402/). And even the lamp shade is crooked, as it seems. The only things that express some cosiness in that room are the colourful quilts. But apart from that: No, not very welcoming at all. I suppose they want the athletes out of their apartments as often as possible. ;)



Anyways, it shows where Sochi really spent the money: In the venues and especially in their external image - those Games shall look as shiny and glorious as possible, but Putin and his oligarchs apparently suddenly keep their purse strings tight when it comes to comfort for the athletes (at least in the mountain village).

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50 million bucks and THAT’S the lamp, mirror and chairs in my room………seriously? :angry:

Somebody’s Olympic dream is going to end prematurely when one of those chairs collapses on an ankle before game day.

RH_05_13_1.jpg

And Baron's comment about why we don't have to care about athletes's safety comes in 3, 2, 1.... :lol:

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almost same as london2012.. london2012olympicathlet.jpg

And yet, it looks far more friendly for my taste with the very light brown coloured floor as opposed to the dark brown floor and the corresponding drapes in Sochi. I guess those dark colours in Sochi create or emphasise the impression that it's an uncomfortable room.

That room in London could have used some pictures on the walls, though. But I suppose they wanted to leave the athletes space to decorate the walls on their own with posters and stuff, right? ;)

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It looks fine. I think the exposure in that photo and the nets make it look darker than it will be most of the time. The athletes rooms are basically dorms so I don't know what people really expect. The location looks gorgeous and people won't be spending that much time in them - well, I wouldn't if I was out there.

As long as the bed springs are strong enough, the athletes will be happy with this.

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These accommodations look so uncomfortable for athletes who take so much care to be fit and ready. It just seems there are only a few thousand of these room required so why not outfit them in more comfortable décor and furniture, it’d be a small cost compared to the other venues needs I’m sure. I bet the elite athletes often stay elsewhere. Or there are super secret “better” accommodation suites in the village.


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These accommodations look so uncomfortable for athletes who take so much care to be fit and ready. It just seems there are only a few thousand of these room required so why not outfit them in more comfortable décor and furniture, it’d be a small cost compared to the other venues needs I’m sure. I bet the elite athletes often stay elsewhere. Or there are super secret “better” accommodation suites in the village.

I think they're all out partying and getting their rocks off most of the time to spend much time in the rooms.

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50 million bucks and THAT’S the lamp, mirror and chairs in my room………seriously? :angry:

Somebody’s Olympic dream is going to end prematurely when one of those chairs collapses on an ankle before game day.

RH_05_13_1.jpg

Not only that (I did have the same observation..) but the flimsy curtains are RIGHT over the heater. So you know they will be knotting those curtains somehow to get them away from the heaters!! DUH!! But somehow I like those quilts now!! I want a red or a green one!!

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These accommodations look so uncomfortable for athletes who take so much care to be fit and ready. It just seems there are only a few thousand of these room required so why not outfit them in more comfortable décor and furniture, it’d be a small cost compared to the other venues needs I’m sure. I bet the elite athletes often stay elsewhere. Or there are super secret “better” accommodation suites in the village.

For probably close to 99 per cent of the athletes, though, the ones you never really hear about, from low profile sports or struggling to break into a team or just from the poorer nations of the world, it'd be pretty swish compared to what they're used to. Would beat being billeted in cheap motels or scout halls or dorms or being put up by local families involved in the sports in out of town meets. Beyond the beds they'd get a reasonable living room and kitchenette, TVs and such. And then there's the facilities out in the village they get for free - the dining halls, night clubs, games and Internet rooms, gyms and all. It's meant to be a real great campus environment.

Of course, those who've become accustomed to something a bit more can opt out. The US Dream Team in '92 I remember got a lot of comment for staying at a 5 Star hotel outside the Village. And it can be a two edge sword for the higher profile athletes anyway. One of the tennis players, Federer I think, made a point of staying at the athlete's village at a games a round or two back. He said he eventually had to get out because the constant asking for autographs and photos didn't give him any peace and put his preparations off. A lot of the big names still stay in the village and enjoy the party vibe. And a lot stay away and keep to their team training bases and only come in to the games city at all to compete then get out. Or only stay at the village after their event to let their hair down.

I have to say that whether it's a token gesture or not, I do give Rogge the thumbs up for making the point if staying in the village during the games, instead of the IOCs official five star digs.

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For probably close to 99 per cent of the athletes, though, the ones you never really hear about, from low profile sports or struggling to break into a team or just from the poorer nations of the world, it'd be pretty swish compared to what they're used to. Would beat being billeted in cheap motels or scout halls or dorms or being put up by local families involved in the sports in out of town meets. Beyond the beds they'd get a reasonable living room and kitchenette, TVs and such. And then there's the facilities out in the village they get for free - the dining halls, night clubs, games and Internet rooms, gyms and all. It's meant to be a real great campus environment.

True. But regarding your first sentence: You forget that compared to the Summer Games, much less poor nations compete in the Winter Games. Those are mainly the developed industrialised nations competing, and I sure hope that there even those athletes with little money from low profile sports or struggling to break into a team live at least on the same standard privately at home as in the Olympic Village. I mean, the furniture and décor is the most basic of basic in the Olympic Village. Everyone with a small budget from a developed country can afford to decorate his private apartment more comfortably than this. And this is coming from a man who has furnitured his apartment almost completely with Ikea - and can confirm that already with that kind of cheaper furniture, you can create very cosy and comfortable homes.

And you can even decorate a home more comfortably and cosy with furniture from the flea market or even the bulky waste (if you are lucky).

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they'd get a ...kitchenette,

Rols, in the new villages, instead of putting in new kitchen appliances (a range, the fridge and the sink), they hold off on completing the kitchen as such, and put in an extra bed. In existing dorms converted into OVs,,they at least remove the stoves (and the small fridges if need be) to also accommodate another bed in there. And lately, if there is the budget, they also provide a temporary wall, thereby making "kitchen space" an entirely separate, extra room. Thus, a normal 2 bedroom unit in a new OV could accommodate as many as 7 bodies (4 shared in the 2 bedrooms), 2 in the living room (usually the extra-long beds for the basketball and volleyball players go there), and one in the former or kitchen-to-be. Thus,with 2,800 units, you can easily reach your 10,500 bed capacity and some. Eliminating the ranges-stoves also lessens the chances of a fire or similar accident in that unit which these distracted or scatter-brained athletes are sometimes capable of causing. All their meal needs are met in the dining halls. I don't think the dining rooms package 'take-out' meals for the athletes to take to their rooms. Again, it is cause for additional clean-up for 'room service' and they are encouraged to eat and socialize in the dining halls.

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