Amid the challenges of competing against their peers from other nations, athletes in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris also have to face another challenge in the form of food.
The New York Post reported on this issue, pointing out that inadequate food supply and improperly prepared meals were some of the concerns. It cited the Times of London that stated food at the Olympic Village hasn't lived up to the standards befitting international champions.
Andy Anson, chief executive of the British Olympic Association (BOA), told the Times that there have been insufficient quantities of chicken, eggs and some carbohydrates. He also lamented how some meat served to them at the Olympic Village in the French capital has been served raw. Given these issues, Anson noted that the British national team had to send another team chef to France.
"At the beginning of every [Olympic] Games, there are usually two or three issues – and the transportation is always one," the BOA CEO said. "But the big one this time is the food in the [Olympic] Village, which is not adequate. They have got to improve it over the next couple of days dramatically."
One British athlete who refused to be named told the Times that the food situation in Paris is chaotic.
"They are saying the Games are more sustainable, and there is way more plant-based food," the athlete said. "But sometimes, if you go at peak times, it's challenging to even get a piece of chicken."
Grilled chicken and eggs in particular are among the items in short supply. According to the Times, this has prompted some athletes to bring packed meals back to the Olympic Village for lunch and dinner.
Organizers wanted Olympics to be "climate-friendly" at the cost of depriving athletes
Paris Olympics officials attempted to offer more plant-based foods in a bid to reduce the event's carbon footprint. While there is a variety of cuisines available to accommodate the tastes of athletes from different parts of the world, vegan meals aren't in line with what they prefer to eat while competing. (Related: Plant-based fast foods NO HEALTHIER than their regular counterparts, study reveals.)
The City of Lights' bid to host the Olympic Games involves years of preparation and huge amounts of money – such as a $1.5 billion investment into cleaning up the polluted Seine River. But it might not have been prepared for the volume of food needed to feed thousands of athletes and staff members.
According to the Times, "being in optimal condition to compete not only takes years of dedication and training, but it also comes down to diet and food, as athletes often need a lot of food to fuel and recover." The Olympic Village provides approximately 40,000 meals a day with 3,300 seats available in the facility's main restaurant. But given the British athlete's revelations, this may not be enough.
The BOA contingent is housed in a part of the village near the Seine, which has a separate restaurant and performance lounge. Contingents from other countries aren't so lucky, however, as they can't get meals anywhere else other than the Olympic Village.
Sodexo Live, the company responsible for catering at the Olympic Village, responded to the complaints. A company spokesperson told the Times it "takes very seriously" such complaints and that it is "working to increase supplies to the restaurants in the athletes' village." They also noted that "volumes have therefore been increased" for top lean items like grilled meats and eggs.
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Watch this news report about the preparations done before the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This video is from the Rick Langley channel on Brighteon.com.
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