"Cardboard bed, vegetable meal, 8-gram gold medal, where is this Olympic Village, it is clearly a large campsite!" "Is it for the environment, or is it to save money? The Paris Organising Committee is too outrageous. "Athletes are fighting so hard for a crumbling bed and a few green leaves?" From the heated discussions on social media, it is not difficult to feel people's disappointment with the Paris Olympics. Paris, known as the "City of Romance", how did it make the Olympic Games so "down-to-earth"? How will they end up in the face of controversy?
With only a dozen days left before the opening ceremony on July 26, preparations for the Paris Olympics have been frustrated.
Negative news such as the poor conditions of the Olympic Village and the "cutting corners" of the medals have been exposed one after another, casting a shadow on this international sports event. Some people questioned that it was due to a lack of budget, while others praised it as a "green" innovation. However, frugality should not be at the expense of athletes. What are the deep-seated social contradictions behind these problems?
First and foremost is the accommodation in the Olympic Village.
What was once a "safe haven" for athletes to recuperate after the games has now been transformed into a retro-style "campsite". In the scorching heat, athletes can only rely on Chinese-made pu fans to cool off, and air conditioning is naturally delusional. Looking at the crumbling cardboard bed, I was always worried about which player would fall asleep on the floor without paying attention.
The concept of environmental protection is worth advocating, but it can't come at the expense of the quality of the athlete's sleep. You know, for the elite of sports, a good rest is inseparable from playing at the top of their game. With such a humble accommodation, how can the athletes devote themselves to the competition?
The problem of eating has also been criticized.
The vegetable salad on the menu of the Olympic Village cafeteria raises the question of whether this is an athletes' restaurant or a family farm. Meat protein is almost extinct, and athletes have to sigh at the buffet full of "rabbit food".
It is important to know that a proper diet is essential for competitive sports. Without enough energy and nutrients, wouldn't the players become "a good woman who can't cook without rice" in the last game? This practice of sacrificing the quality of ingredients in order to save money is tantamount to joking about the health of athletes.
Even medals representing honor are not spared.
The gold-plated silver medal of 6 grams of gold and the "gold" and "silver" medals of copper-zinc alloy make people wonder about their gold content. Although environmental protection is commendable, after all, it is a symbol of an athlete's lifelong dream, and such a "shabby" always makes people feel that there is no sense of ceremony. In contrast, the heavy pure gold medals at the Beijing Olympics are truly worthy of the hard work of the athletes.
By all indications, the Paris Organising Committee seems to be too obsessed with the word "frugality". According to reports, the budget for this event is only 9.1 billion euros, and the Olympic organizing committee actually has only 5 billion on hand, less than half of the Tokyo Olympics. Against the backdrop of a global economic downturn, there is nothing wrong with controlling spending. But isn't such an extreme "door-picking" behavior worrying about affecting the participation experience and damaging the image of the Olympic Games?
However, objectively speaking, the Paris Organising Committee has bright spots in other areas.
For example, we will vigorously promote the concept of sustainable development and strive to hold a "green Olympics". The Olympic Village's extensive use of recyclable materials, as well as plans to convert it into a residential area after the Games, is a long-term plan to be commended.
It is a pity that while pursuing environmental protection, the most basic humanistic care is neglected. Athletes are at the heart of the Olympic Games, and only by taking care of their vital interests can we make a great event.
At the end of the day, the core of the Olympic spirit is "higher, faster, stronger, more united". The athletes work tirelessly to show themselves on the world stage and win glory for the country.
As a host, we should do our best to provide them with the best quality experience and the highest sense of honor. Otherwise, no amount of beautiful green slogans can hide the inner roughness.
So in the end, I would like to ask: even the most basic accommodation and catering are so shabby, what else can you expect from the Paris Olympics? Behind this "simplicity", is it innovation or helplessness? While pursuing green and frugality, do you neglect the protection of the basic interests of athletes? Can the Olympic flame still ignite hopes and dreams in this land? What do you think about this?