Wild parties, Winter Olympic collectables and keeping your focus inside ‘amazing’ athletes village

The Winter Olympics might be winding down, but the athletes’ village is still abuzz with action.

Close to 3,000 Olympians have made a home away from home in six specially-created sites across Milan, Cortina, Bormio, Livigno, Predazzo and Anterselva.

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With events at this year’s Games taking place in multiple locations, from the streets of Milan to the mountains of Cortina d’Ampezzo 250 miles away, the village has been decentralized.

It certainly hasn’t stopped the Olympians from getting to know one another — with reports of a condom crisis threatening to ruin all the fun.

As always, the village itself is generating plenty of interest around the Games, and those on the outside looking in are in awe once more of the fascinating logistics behind housing thousands of the world’s most elite athletes under one metaphorical roof.

Much was made of the fact that COIMA, Italy’s leading real estate investor and developer, had completed the village in just 30 months — 30 days ahead of schedule.

The project set ‘new standards’ for sustainable Olympic developments, with zero-emission buildings and a lasting legacy.

Once the Games are done in Milan, the village will be converted into student housing for those studying in the city.

The Olympic Village Plaza, meanwhile, will transform into a community square with retail stores, bars, restaurants and cafes, surrounded by outdoor areas designated for farmers’ markets and other post-Olympic activities.

Beyond the details of a sustainable culture set to leave a legacy in Milan, and even the grabby headlines that continue to command worldwide attention, the athletes’ village holds plenty of other secrets.

Bart Swings, Belgium‘s defending Olympic champion in speed skating’s mass start event, took talkSPORT behind the scenes from his room in the heart of the village.

Olympic champion reveals secrets behind Milan Olympic Village

“It’s a really nice village. It’s my fourth Olympics. So I’m not too crazy surprised anymore. But I really like the vibe that we always get,” Swings said, speaking from the room which has been his home for much of February.

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“We are with Belgium on one big hallway. All the rooms are together. And that’s one thing that I love already — to get to connect with all the other athletes from Belgium, but from every different kind of sport.

“It gives you the energy of wanting to compete, and wanting to get the best out of yourself.

“There are amazing things in the village, we have a gaming room. But still for me it’s all about the vibe of getting the best out of yourself.

“Being in this village gets that feeling for me. I’ve been, of course, a few times to the Samsung Gaming House — that was pretty cool! A nice experience. But we’re here for one thing.”

Swings, who won Belgium’s first Winter Olympic gold for 74 years in Beijing back in 2022, is an Athletes’ Village veteran.

He has competed at four games, his first coming at Sochi in 2014, and knows a secret or two about making the most of his time in the village — and coming home with plenty of special mementos.

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Athlete pins, which date back to 1896, are cherished, collectable tokens that represent international friendship and cultural exchange between competitors.

These days, they are highly sought-after, and often traded by athletes, staff, and even fans.

According to Swings, who will attempt to win back-to-back gold medals in mass start speed skating on Saturday afternoon, there are some ‘secret’ collectables on offer.

“There are some ways to get some secret pins,” he revealed.

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“The pins are trending and everybody wants to trade them. But if you do some tutorials on the Athlete 365 app, you can get extra ones that not everybody can have.

“Those things are pretty fun. But I try to focus as much as possible on skating, and on the sporting side.

“It’s just finding your rhythm here, and getting a good feeling in the village is important. You feel at home really quickly. It’s really becoming like a bubble in the world. As if everything else is not existing anymore.

“So the day you go back home it’s back to reality. Then you see you were really in a special place for the last three weeks.”

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Who throws the best room parties in the Olympic Village?

The main focus, as Swings says, is on Winter Olympics competition. But once the events are done, and the medals are handed out, there is a little time left for partying.

Legendary US snowboarder Shaun White once claimed that the American’s know how to throw the best, and wildest, room parties.

Swings, who one of a number of athletes partnered with OnlyFans for this year’s Games, has first-hand experience of those.

“I’ve been only once, at the last Olympics when I got the gold,” he explained.

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“I went to the US after party. It was my last race, and I won a gold medal. I have to say it was an amazing party.

“I haven’t been to any others. So maybe I have to admit that he’s (White) is correct with it!”

As the Winter Olympics draws to a close this weekend, Swings might have one final opportunity to throw a rager of his own, should he secure gold once again.

Olympic champion Swings eyeing back-to-back golds

He made history for Belgium in Beijing back in 2022.

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But the Games were held as the world was still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, and as a result, unfolded in unique circumstances.

Attendances in China were greatly reduced, and foreigners banned from visiting.

Swings won his gold in front of few spectators, and four years on, is relishing the opportunity of competing in front of capacity crowds, and his family too.

“The last (Games) was extreme in Beijing, in Covid times, with no people in the stands and no friends, no family,” he said.

“Now, finally it’s in Europe and I’ve had some family come and watch. So for me, that’s a really nice experience.

“The pressure is there, of course, because it’s been a big goal for me to defend my Olympic title with honor and be in the best possible shape.

“It’s also the last competition day of the Games. So around you, you see many people here winning or getting medals. And you start getting jealous.

“It’s tempting to start thinking about what if, but I know what I have to do now. That’s focus on the sporting side and on everything that I can do to get in the best possible position to win that medal.

“I only realized the sporting history I made for Belgium (after the 2022 event). So that’s hard to top. But being a back-to-back Olympic champion would be incredibly special. That’s the big goal.”