Citing Travel Concerns, Six South Korean Swimmers Leave Olympic Village

Six members of the South Korean swim team have left the Olympic Village over concerns of travel delays, per an outlet in that country.

Members of the country’s 800 freestyle relay, which includes Kim Woo-Min and Hwang Sun-Woo, were among the six that left the Olympic Village and relocated to other lodgings. Korean Swimming Federation president Chong Chang-Hoon cited the commute from the village to the Olympic swimming venue as a reason. Swimmers have reported that journey as stretching for more than an hour through Paris this week.

“We just want to make sure they will be at least a bit more comfortable,” Chong told the Korea Times.

The Olympic Village is located north of Paris, in Saint-Denis-Bords de Seine. It is only 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) from the La Defense Arena, located to the west of the city in Nanterre. Tight traffic restrictions around the River Seine, in place for Friday’s Opening Ceremonies, have reverberated outward toward the suburbs.

The South Koreans aren’t the only ones to have issues with the transportation. Swimmers have reported buses that are excessively warm, made worse by the extended travel time. Hwang said he was in a bus that was part of a minor traffic accident this week. (South Korea also set up a special shuttle for table tennis players dealing with transport issues.)

“It’s cooler outside than inside the bus,” Hwang told the Korea Times. “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 today. Windows were taped probably because they are worried about terrorist attacks. But something has to be done.”

In terms of performance, the South Koreans seem unaffected. Kim finished seventh in prelims of the 400 free on Saturday, the meet’s opening day, to make the final.