Media Accomodations

Ten thousand members of various media outlets covered the 2006 Winter Olympics. Most of those journalists were housed in seven Media Villages located in various parts of the city and mountains. According to the official Torino 2006 Winter Olympics website, all villages offered a standard equivalent to that of a three-star bed & breakfast. Eighty percent of the rooms were to be used as single rooms while the rest were set up as doubles. All villages were to have common working, dining and leisure areas.

Many members of the NBC Olympics team who were stationed at downtown events and the International Broadcast Center (IBC) lived in the Riberi Media Village. It was located about one 1 kilometer away from the Olympic Stadium - site of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies - and Palasport Olimpico, one of the two sites for men's and women's ice hockey. It was also a little more than two kilometers from the IBC. Riberi had the capacity to hold 1,007 people as it was a former military hospital built between 1906 and 1913. After the Games, the complex will be given back to the Ministry of Defence.

Athlete Accomodations

Most athletes participating in events located in downtown Torino lived at the main Olympic Village. Athletes¹ trainers and managers also lived in the Olympic Village. The village offered lodging, two large restaurants, shopping, a relaxation area, gymnasium, and medical and logistics support. The Olympic Village and the IBC are located in the Lingotto region of Torino, the former General Market section of the city. The IBC and Olympic Village were connected by an 820-foot long, 213-foot high overhead pedestrian walkway. After the games, much of the village will convert to private residential housing, while the rest will become a research facility.
There were also two Olympic Villages in the mountain towns of Sestriere and Bardonecchia for athletes competing in that region.

Bode Miller: A different type of living

However, some athletes chose their own accommodations. Bode Miller was a favorite in the Alpine ski racing and stayed in his motor-home. He uses it on the World Cup tour because he prefers his own food and bed. Miller told reporters that the athletes¹ village is not a healthy living environment for competition in part because the beds are really small and uncomfortable. U.S. alpine skier Daron Rahlves also stayed in his own motor-home with his wife and dog.

A comfortable living situation

American men's figure skater Johnny Weir said that it's cool to be in the Olympic village, but that his room was cold and dusty and causing him to cough. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge disagreed by saying that the Olympic village was top quality. Rogge stays at athletes' villages during the Games to prove that they are comfortable living situations.

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Pictures courtsey of and used with permission from Don Sears, and The Associated Press
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