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Step Inside You won't believe some of the things going on inside the athletes' village, far from the madding crowds and behind a wave of tight securityThe athletes' village, which consists of 20 dormitories and 180 other buildings at the University of Utah, serves as more than living quarters for 3,500 competitors and officials from the 77 nations represented at the Games. It is also a place to mingle, to work on language skills and, when the game rooms aren't crowded, to blow off steam. "The Games really begin for me when I come to the village," says Mark Grimmette, a U.S. luger competing in his third Olympics. "Seeing all those different jackets from all the countries in the village, that's when it sets in that I'm an Olympian again."From the outside the village has the look of a fortress, with checkpoints manned by armed national guardsmen. Once inside, athletes can find more than just a place to crash. There is a hair salon, bank, Internet cafe, flower shop, photo shop, post office, fitness center, massage center and convenience store. The coffeehouse staff includes a professional palm reader who predicts everything except an athlete's results. The on-site Olympic Museum has more than 300,000 photos. The popular Village Club has a lineup of visiting musicians that includes folk singer Pete Seeger and a group called the A Cappella Bobsled Brigade.
The religious center, which features a prayer room, counseling room and
religious-studies text room, offers regular services for Buddhists,
Catholics, Jews, Muslims and Protestants. The main dining hall, which can
seat as many as 650 people, is open 24 hours a day and sports fare from a
dozen cuisines. From there the well-fueled athletes can ply their skills at
the village's air-hockey boards, billiards tables and putting greens, where
even the world’s greatest superstars become kids at play again.
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