Olympic athlete Husein Alireza, who took the now-viral photo of Italian swimmer Thomas Ceccon napping outside his designated room, has addressed some inaccuracies surrounding the image.
On Monday, August 5, Alireza, a rower from Saudi Arabia, clarified on his Instagram Story that the location of the photo was the Olympic Village, not a “park” as some reports suggested. He explained that it’s common for athletes to rest on the grass near the river within the village.
Alireza had originally shared the photo on Sunday, August 4, with the caption, “Rest today, conquer tomorrow.” However, the image quickly garnered attention from global media outlets, which inaccurately described Ceccon’s napping spot as a park. In response, Alireza posted various misleading headlines on his Instagram Story, calling out the inaccuracies with the message, “Fake news.”
The photo surfaced shortly after Ceccon had voiced his discomfort with the conditions in the Olympic Village, where thousands of athletes stay during the Games. Ceccon had mentioned that the lack of air conditioning and poor food quality contributed to the challenging environment. He also noted his struggle with fatigue, explaining that it was difficult to get adequate rest both at night and during the day.
“I usually take an afternoon nap at home,” Ceccon said. “Here, the combination of heat and noise makes it really difficult.”
Despite these challenges, Ceccon has had a successful run at the Paris Olympics. He won gold in the men’s 100-meter backstroke and a bronze in the men’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
Other athletes have shared their experiences in the Olympic Village. On July 27, Team USA tennis player Coco Gauff posted a TikTok video mentioning that there were originally two bathrooms for ten girls to share. She later updated the situation in the comments, noting that after the tennis team moved to a hotel, there were now just five girls sharing two bathrooms.
Track and field athlete Chari Hawkins pointed out the lack of privacy for changing clothes due to her room’s lack of curtains. She also acknowledged the positive impact of custom mattress toppers provided by the organizers. “I will be completely honest,” Hawkins said in a TikTok video on July 30. “Every morning my back was sore, but the mattress toppers have made a noticeable improvement.”