Hanging out with the village people
In my experience the village is normally basic but comfortable.
Barcelona had tower blocks set back from the beach, which sounds nice until you realised it was an old goods siding yard. A dual carriageway between the two also made the walk to the sea a little challenging.
In Atlanta we stayed in university digs and, while it was more than sufficient for Olympic athletes to "get the job done", I remember struggling to find room on the floor to lay out several kit bags. And that was before and his shoulders took up residence.
Sydney was probably the best in my athletic experience, but that is slanted by the patch that laid claim to.
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Matthew Pinsent looks around the athletes' Olympic Village in Vancouver, while Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes drops in on Sir Clive Woodward and the Team GB set-up in Whistler (UK users only)
We were at the top of one of the four-storey apartment blocks and I could twitch the curtain at the foot of my bed and watch the Olympic flame burn in the stadium half-a-mile away across the fence.
There was a nice communal area with chairs and tables, and we could spend relaxed evenings with our own team-mates in relative peace.
I always like to visit the various Olympic villages, and I relished the chance to have a poke around the Vancouver version on a media trip a few days ago.
Nothing prepared me for the beauty of the design and the setting of the village. Of course, the winter version of the village is smaller (for two reasons - the number of winter athletes is about a quarter of the Summer Games and they are split between city and mountain) but it has turned this to its advantage and seems welcoming rather than impersonal.
The organisers have put a lot of thought into the communal areas and drinks bars (non-alcoholic!), while sofas and even a grand piano are in evidence for a bit of down-time.
There are also real fires and bean bags, games consoles and pool tables. For this generation of athlete, time away from their sport will not be idle.
From the limited evidence I saw of the British block, the accomodation looks superb.
The Brits have adorned their balconies with Union flags and decorated the walls inside with postcards sent from national heroes and school children alike.
Bedrooms are spacious (despite the usual policy of twin rooms for everyone) and the sitting rooms are graced by wall-to-ceiling plate-glass overlooking the water of , the downtown skyline and, when the weather allows, the mountains as a backdrop. You cannot help but stare slack-jawed at the view.
Of course, the British athletes are past all that - the view is, hopefully, just something they can admire later with a proper drink in hand and a medal around their neck.
In a previous life I won four gold medals at the Olympics between 1992 and 2004 and I now work at the 91Èȱ¬. Whilst I was part of the Beijing team for the 91Èȱ¬ in the summer of 2008, my primary role is as reporter for . I've been told to expect some slings, arrows and some lively debate - if you'd like to direct the first two to my editor's blog and the last right here.
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