Paris 2024: Not enough meat, “worms in the fish”: the Olympic canteen criticized

The food in the Olympic Village continues to be a topic of discussion… and division. While some athletes are fond of certain dishes on offer, others are quick to criticize the quality of what is offered to them. This is particularly the case for British swimmer Adam Peaty.

The breaststroke specialist, silver medalist in the 100m in the discipline in Paris, complained in particular about the quality of the fish, in an interview given to the media Inews: “I love my fish and people find worms in the fish. It's simply not good enough.”

“Not enough protein options”

More generally, the swimmer finds that there is a lack of vbiande, and points out more general difficulties. “In Tokyo, the food was incredible, in Rio, it was incredible. But this time… There were not enough protein options, long queues, you have to wait 30 minutes to eat because there is no queue system,” he listed.

As a reminder, in the Olympic Village, 60% of the meals offered in the various stands must not contain meat. This offends the triple Olympic medalist in the 100m breaststroke: “I need meat to perform and that's what I eat at home, so why should I change?”

Special chefs for certain delegations

Other stars of the Games have criticized the village's food, giving particular resonance to their views. Italian sprinter Marcell Jacobs, gymnastics star Simone Biles, and teammate Hezly Rivera, 16, have all spoken out. “French food is supposed to be good… But what we have here, I'm not sure it's the best,” she said.

Based in Eaubonne in Val-d'Oise, the American delegation brought its own chef, Brian Knutson, with his team. He sources his ingredients from the Rungis market and takes care of Team USA's catering, ensuring that the athletes are satisfied. The British did the same, after having already pointed out a lack of carbohydrates, eggs and white meat in the Olympic village. They brought their in-house chef to their HQ in Clichy (Hauts-de-Seine).

Rather harsh in his criticism, Adam Peaty nevertheless underlined the quality of the Paris Olympics: “These are certainly the best Games in terms of fan engagement. So there will never be a perfect Games.”