Complaints about Rio 2016’s Olympic Village could fill a laundry list — a list that would literally include complaints about laundry. Newly arrived athletes have also grumbled about flickering lights, water seeping out of walls and the smell of gas.
Fortunately, the United States’ basketball squads have found a solution. They’re staying on a cruise ship.
The U.S. men’s and women’s teams will fill some of the 196 cabins aboard the Silver Cloud, a nine-deck luxury liner that will dock at Rio de Janeiro’s main cruise port for the duration of the Games. The vessel spans 157 metres, featuring everything from a pool deck and casino to a library, beauty salon and bar. (Yes, it also has a fitness room.)
The American Olympic delegation has commandeered the entire boat. Its occupants include a number of NBA luminaries, from Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant to the Toronto Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. WNBA stars Brittany Griner, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart will lead the women’s team.
Both teams will be heavily guarded at the Rio port; a bulletproof fence surrounds the Silver Cloud, and two Brazilian Federal Police boats will be on regular patrol, The Telegraph reports.
Security will also be tight at the Olympic Village, a 17,950-bunk complex in south Rio. But the conditions won’t be quite as cozy.
#IOCLuxuryLodging. Putting together a shower curtain so we can shower and not flood the place. https://t.co/omaBJ7Dlje
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Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) August 02, 2016
Australia’s Olympians didn’t move into the village for several days after they arrived in Rio, after reporting that water flooded down the walls of some rooms when taps and toilets were turned on and flushed simultaneously.
Argentina’s delegation, meanwhile, has objected to weak water pressure in their washrooms, according to Reuters, while a member of Brazil’s men’s handball team said the village’s laundry service was subpar.
While the American NBAers float in style and comfort, Australian centre Andrew Bogut and his basketball teammates have squeezed themselves into cramped rooms at the village.
Australia will play its first game against France on Saturday — but Bogut has already taken certain matters into his own hands. Earlier this week, he fashioned a shower curtain for his room in Rio, posting evidence of his work to Twitter with a fitting hashtag: #IOCLuxuryLodging.