Telegraph Sport was among a limited media group that was granted access to the Team GB block that is situated between athletes from Turkey, Azerbaijan and the Dominican Republic on a particularly tranquil Island location. With balconied rooms that overlook the River Seine, it was specifically chosen for its “peace and calm”. Athletes can get around on Union-jack painted Brompton bikes and relax in communal areas with pool, darts, chess and in-house gaming that includes Mario Kart and Fifa. Heather Watson, Delicious Orie and Nathan Robertson, a badminton silver medalist from 2004 who is now a coach, are among those milling around when we visit.
Robertson says that the push for a one-team environment has seen significant changes over the last 20 years. At the entrance, as well as an old-school telephone box and pictures of every member of the team, the GB lion has been divided into 28 pieces in which each sport has written a brief summary of their core values. Big screen TVs will be streaming the BBC’s Olympic coverage into these communal areas and there is also even the option of an onsite ‘nightclub’ – in reality more like a huge international common room – which serves nothing stronger than bottles of alcohol-free Corona.
It is not a place of extreme luxurious environment – the beds (which can apparently take the weight of four people and have already survived being bounced on by Tom Daley) – are made from cardboard bases. Rooms are either single or twin, with shared bathrooms in blocks of anything from two to eight athletes. Team GB have had to shell out £70,000 to ensure that each athlete room has had temporary air conditioner units installed. Bespoke dressing-gowns, messages and even teddy-bears await on the beds of new arrivals.
