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No early check-in -

Athletes had to wait until July 18 to move into their country’s residences. This is because the Olympic Village didn’t officially open its doors until that date.

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Athletes don’t have to stay in the Olympic Village -

Athletes are not required to stay at the Village. This means they can find alternative accommodation but they'll have to pay for it.

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Athletes don’t have to stay in the Olympic Village -

One example is the USA Men's basketball team, who chose not to stay at the Olympic Village. Needless to say, they can afford luxury accommodation! 

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Athletes must stay with their country's team -

Athletes can’t share apartments with team members from other countries. 

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No family or friends allowed -

Athletes can’t have family or friends visiting them in the Olympic Village. According to Team USA's Olympic Village Director Daniel Smith, the goal “is to make it as distraction-free as possible."

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Exception to the rule -

There is however an exception to this rule: nursing mothers. Nursing athletes are allowed to bring their children into the Olympic Village Nursery.

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Olympic Village Nursery -

“It is very helpful for both parents and infants to be able to spend time together, especially at such an important moment in an athlete’s sporting life,” said IOC Athletes’ Commission Chair Emma Terho, who competed at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games as a mother.

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Athletes’ personal security guards can enter the Village -

But they can only do so at specific times and are not allowed to live with the athletes.

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Athletes’ roommates are assigned by the sports team -

This will depend on a number of factors, including the size of the team and the accommodation allocated.

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Athletes’ roommates are assigned by the sports team -

It’s not for the athletes to decide who rooms with whom. This is a decision taken by each sports team.

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Minors must room with minors -

Athletes who are under 18 will not room with adults. For exceptions to occur "there has to be a parent permission involved, team leader permission involved, NGB permission involved," explains Smith.

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Beds can be personalized -

The cardboard beds in the Olympic Village are pretty hard. The good news is that the stiff mattresses can be customized to suit individual preferences.

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There is no air conditioning in the rooms -

In addition to cardboard beds, teams that wish to have more control over room temperature must bring their own AC. Indeed, quite a few teams have opted to do this.

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Athletes must respect the quiet hours -

A good night’s sleep is very important for athletic performance. Team USA for instance, sets quiet hours in their residence halls between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am.

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Alcohol is not allowed -

Though there's actually a sports bar in the Olympic Village, athletes won’t find any booze for sale there.

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Alcohol is not allowed -

Team USA goes as far as not allowing alcohol “pre-competition, during competition or once competition has finished." That is, until the Olympics officially comes to an end. 

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Athletes can hang out with people from other countries -

While this is one of the world’s biggest competitions, it’s also a unique opportunity to meet and hang out with people from other countries.

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Athletes have access to numerous resources -

From massages to mental health support, gyms, a salon, and leisure areas, athletes have numerous resources available to them.

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There’s a lot of food (in quantity and variety) -

Food is fuel, and athletes have plenty of options at the Village. In the dining hall they can find “everything from world food, Asian food, Latin American food, halal, vegetarian section... There's also a quick grab and go," says Smith.

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Though some foods are not available -

Foods such as French fries, foie gras, and avocados, are not served due to a number of reasons, including ethical and nutritional.

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Teams can bring their own food -

Foods can—and have been—shipped to France. Team USA for example shipped peanut butter, jerky, pretzels, and popcorn, to name a few. Team China even brought their own chef!

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Athletes can enter and leave the Village as they please -

They will however have to go through airport-type security every time they re-enter it. This includes bag scanners, metal detectors, and everything in between.

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Pets are not allowed -

This also applies to therapy dogs. However, the decision has more to do with the French government's certification of such animals, rather than the Olympic regulations themselves.

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Athletes can ride bikes -

There are 600 communal bikes available for athletes to use.

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Transport -

There are also a number of electric vehicles available as means of transportation inside the Village.

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They are allowed to decorate their country's zone -

What better way to boost team spirit than to hang a few flags and decorate your halls with your national colors, right?

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They are allowed to decorate their country's zone -

But decor goes beyond teams’ identities. This tradition has become a competition in itself! 

Sources: (Olympics.com) (People) (Ranker) (Self) (Sky)

See also: Olympic villages through the years

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