South Korea swimmers leave athletes village due to long commute in hot buses

PARIS — Six South Korean swimmers competing at the Paris Games have left the Olympic village and moved into a hotel near the swimming arena to avoid the long commute in hot buses, the Korea Swimming Federation (KSF) president said according to Yonhap.

KSF president Chong Chang-hoon said the swimmers on the men's 4x200-metre freestyle relay team moved into a hotel that is a five-minute walk from Paris La Defence Arena, where the swimming events will be held.

Chong received complaints that the buses the swimmers used to travel to the arena had no air-conditioning while the windows were taped shut. The Olympic village is nearly 12 km away from the swimming arena.

"We just want to make sure they will be at least a bit more comfortable," Chong said.

Among the swimmers moved are medal contenders Kim Woo-min and Hwang Sun-woo, who won the 400m freestyle and 200m freestyle, respectively, at the world championships in Doha earlier this year.

Hwang described the bus as a "sauna", saying: "It's cooler outside than inside the bus. It usually takes about 40 to 45 minutes from the village to the arena, but it took us more than an hour and a half [on Thursday (July 25)].

"The windows were taped, probably because they are worried about terrorist attacks. But something has to be done."

Reuters has contacted the Paris Games organisers for comment.

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