PARIS – A group of South Korean swimmers will vacate the Olympic Village and check into a nearby hotel to avoid transportation issues that have affected their preparations for the upcoming events at the Paris Olympics.
According to Yonhap News Agency, president of the Korea Swimming Federation (KSF), six athletes participating in the men's 4x200-meter freestyle relay will move to a hotel just a five-minute walk from the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre on Saturday. This decision follows complaints from swimmers Kim Woo-min and Hwang Sun-woo about the inadequate shuttle service from the athletes' village to the competition venue. The athletes described experiences with overcrowded and under-ventilated buses, one of which was involved in a minor accident and another incident of getting lost en route to the arena.
Chong emphasized the federation’s proactive stance in addressing the athletes' concerns by securing accommodations closer to the venue. The move is intended to ensure the swimmers' comfort and readiness, mitigating the logistical challenges posed by the current transportation setup. The swimmers will stay at the hotel until next Wednesday, aligning with their competition schedule, which includes Kim's participation in the men's 400m freestyle on Saturday and Hwang's in the 200m freestyle on Sunday and potentially Monday, with the relay event following on Tuesday.