EXCLUSIVE: Keenan Horne on life in the glitzy Olympic Village

As fans from around the world await the start of the world’s biggest sporting event, athletes have begun settling into the pristine Olympic Village in Paris.

One of those athletes is South African hockey player Keenan Horne, who arrived at the village this week.
The forward has been absolutely blown away by the beauty of the Olympic Village and the facilities on offer for the thousands of athletes competing at this year’s games.

“The French have really outdone themselves,” Horne told Showmax this week. “There is something for everyone here. We have barista classes, where you can make your own coffee, and learn to brew different types of coffee.”

“Then we have an arcade area for the guys who like playing games. We also have Michelin-starred chefs at some grab-and-go areas. It’s very cool, good air and atmosphere about it. Many world-renowned athletes have also now entered the village, so yes there’s good excitement about everything.”

“Everyone is also very focused on their training and getting ready, but the village has been awesome. They have also given us these cool bicycles so we can get around the village. France is also known for its patisseries and so everyone is eating a lot of croissants here,” Horne says as he giggles away.

The hockey forward is no stranger to the Olympics having competed at the previous games, however due to Covid, Horne didn’t get the full experience of an Olympic Games. Horne and his teammates were some of the first group of athletes to arrive at the village this week.

“We were one of the first group of athletes to arrive, so it’s been cool. It gave us an opportunity to look around nicely, to feel the vibe of the village, and now it’s a lot fuller, so you get a real sense of excitement.”

“The Rugby 7’s started today (Wednesday) so there’s an air of excitement buzzing around the village.
Horne, who currently resides in Paris, says it’s an honour to be part of Team SA at this year’s Games.
“Competing at the Olympics is incredibly special. In Tokyo we had the Covid games, and there was still a lot to be desired. There was still a lot of fear and anxiety leading up to the games, but this year will be totally different.”

“There will be huge crowds and an amazing atmosphere, and I assume a very cool opening ceremony. Being part of a rich sporting country like South Africa is an honour, and so you feel like you part of a great team in Team SA and you just want to play your part and take in everything.”

The SA men’s hockey team enter the Olympics as the lowest-ranked hockey team at the games. They will face-off against the Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, and France in the pool stages of the competition. Despite being the lowest-ranked team, Horne and his teammates aren’t phased. They are ready to go to battle for glory.

“We are the lowest ranked team in men’s hockey in the tournament, so it’s going to be an uphill battle, but we know stranger things have happened in sport. So, we never rule ourselves out, but we will take it one game at a time. Getting out of our pool is objective one, and then anything can happen in the knockout stages.”

Horne adds that the mood in the men’s hockey camp is also “really good”.

“The mood in the camp is very good. We played three warm-up games before coming to Paris. We also played against Belgium and drew to them in Belgium. They are the reigning champions and so that was a great confidence booster. Our warmup games were played against Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland and we felt like our game was getting better and better. We are definitely in a good space and are excited for our first game for sure.”

Horne has also given us an insight into his room at the Olympic village and has revealed which teammate he will be rooming with for the tournament. “In our room we have a little chilling area, and two rooms. Each room has two people. My roommate is Daniel Bell. I’ve played with Dan since we were at university together, and we have been playing together for a long time, so he is an easy roommate, one of the guys you want be around. It’s awesome to be rooming with him again. Dan plays his hockey in Belgium, so I don’t get to see him very often, so it’s awesome to be rooming with him.”

As Horne has been living in Paris for some time now, he was also able to watch as the stadiums and venues were built for the Olympics. “I live in Paris now so being around Paris and watching them get the stadiums done was beyond fantastic. There is a beach volleyball court outside the Eiffel Tower, you got the skate park, and the famous Stade de France which will host rugby and athletics, it is just stunning. We had the Rugby 7s tonight, and the atmosphere was just out of this world.

He’s also managed to bump into some famous athletes since checking into the village. "One of the greatest things about the Olympics is seeing all these world-renowned athletes. I ran into some of the tennis players like Taylor Fritz and Kei Nishikori. I also saw Simone Biles, so I am keeping my eyes open for everyone in the village.”

“I’m keen to see some of the US sprinters though. Sprinters always light up the games at the back end.”
Asked what he made of Team SA’s kit for the Olympics, Horne says: “I think there were quite a few that were better, but we still will feel pride walking out for our country, regardless of what we wear. I think they went for a classier look this year.”

Sign up for the Showmax Premier League mobile plan for R69 p/m at www.showmax.com to stream some of the best events live on your mobile.