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Adam Peaty has claimed that athletes at Paris 2024 have found worms in their food at the Olympic Village as he insisted the offering “isn’t good enough”.
The Team GB swimmer concluded his involvement at the Games on Sunday with participation in the men’s medley relay having taken individual 100m breaststroke silver last week.
Peaty tested positive for Covid shortly after securing his sixth Olympic medal and admitted that the illness had contributed to the “worst week” of his life.
But the 29-year-old was also left extremely disappointed by the food offering available to athletes staying in the Village, which he felt fell some way below that of his previous two Olympic participations.
Team GB were forced to send out a chef to Paris amid complaints over “inadequate” food early in the Olympics, and Peaty feels that the organisers’ drive for a more sustainable Games has contributed to a situation that fell short of his expectations.
“The narrative of sustainability has just been punished on the athletes,” Peaty told inews after Paris 2024 pledged to make 60 per cent of meals at the Olympics meat-free. “I want to eat meat, I need meat to perform and that’s what I eat at home, so why should I change?
“I like my fish and people are finding worms in the fish. It’s just not good enough. The standard, we’re looking at the best of the best in the world, and we’re feeding them not the best.
“I just want people to get better at their roles and jobs. And I think that’s what the athletes are the best sounding board for. The catering isn’t good enough for the level the athletes are expected to perform. We need to give the best we possibly can.
“Tokyo, the food was incredible, Rio was incredible. But this time around […] there wasn’t enough protein options, long queues, waiting 30 minutes for food because there’s no queuing system.”
A number of British athletes had eschewed the Olympic Village in favour of Team GB’s performance lodge in Clichy at the start of the Paris Games.
Around 40,000 meals are prepared each day for athletes and team personnel at the Village, with 3,300 seats in the main restaurant.
Supplier Sodexo promised to up their daily order of popular items and adjust to complaints after earlier criticism, though Peaty’s comments suggest that the issues were not promptly solved.
A Paris 2024 spokesperson told inews: “We are listening to the athletes and take their feedback very seriously.
“Since the opening of the Village, our partner Sodexo Live! has been working proactively to adapt supplies to the growing use of the Olympic Village restaurants, as well as to the actual consumption by athletes observed over the first few days.
“As a result, the quantities of certain products have been significantly increased and additional staff have been deployed to ensure that the service runs smoothly.”
