PARIS, France — The Olympic Village kitchens are serving up disappointment this year, according to one British swimmer.
Adam Peaty, who won a silver medal in 100m breaststroke in Paris and is a three-time gold medalist, expressed general disappointment in the food at the village, according to British outlet inews.
"The catering isn’t good enough for the level the athletes are expected to perform. We need to give the best we possibly can,” Peaty told inews.
According to TODAY, the French catering company Sodexo Live is in charge of feeding 40,000 meals a day to 15,000 people.
Peaty's issues included inadequate protein options, long waits caused by lack of a queue system and - most disgustingly - other athletes reporting finding worms in the fish.
"It’s just not good enough," Peaty was quoted saying. “The standard, we’re looking at the best of the best in the world, and we’re feeding them not the best."
Peaty reportedly spoke highly of the food at other Olympics, like in Tokyo and Rio.
According to inews, a Paris 2024 spokesperson told them that they were taking athletes’ feedback “very seriously” and had made a number of changes to the supply of food to “ensure that the service runs smoothly.”
Organizers also addressed the complaints in an earlier news conference:
Peaty is not the first athlete to make less-than-praising comments about the food at the Olympics. Simone Biles and other members of the gold-winning U.S. women's gymnastics team had criticism as well.
“I don’t think it’s very good, at least what we’re having in the dining hall,” Hezly Rivera said in a July 30 press conference, according to TODAY.
Filipino gymnast Aleah Finnegan said in a TikTok that the food was under seasoned. Her video is just one of several made by Olympians from around the world who are less-than-thrilled with what Paris is serving up.
