NAGOYA, Sept 20 — International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry threw her weight behind the beleaguered Asian Games organisers today, saying that she was impressed with the athletes' accommodation in Nagoya despite criticism from some competitors.
Japanese organisers scrapped initial plans for a dedicated Athletes' Village in an effort to control costs, opting instead to house 17,000 athletes and officials across hotels, shipping-container-style huts, and a cruise ship.
Several athletes have complained about cramped living quarters and undersized beds, but Coventry gave the facilities a resounding thumbs-up after inspecting the accommodation at Garden Pier.
"The cabins are quiet, they are very cool. The air conditioning is working well; the flooring and the walls are beautiful.
"It is better than some of the (athletes') villages I have ever stayed in. So I think to be very fair to Japan and to the organising committee, I was really impressed.
"I had only been reading everything that had been said, and I was expecting something completely different to when I walked in. And I hope that you guys will get to experience the same thing," she told the media afterwards.
Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion, said this was not the first time athletes had been housed in such modular setups even though these were slightly smaller than the cabins used in Milano Cortina Winter Olympics earlier this year.
"We had cabins in 2000, my very first (Olympic) Games in Australia. It is not a new concept; I am not necessarily concerned about the look," she said.
The overarching priority remained ensuring that competitors enjoyed a positive overall experience.
"I think what athletes expect from us is that there needs to be a minimum level of standards, right? And we are going to try and work with everybody to do that," Coventry noted.
