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‘Rio was incredible’: Olympic swimmer makes bizarre claim about catering, says athletes found worms in their food
Adam Peaty hit out at Olympic authorities in Paris over quantity and quality of food on offer, claiming that the athletes have discovered worms in their food.
Adam Peaty hit out at Olympic authorities over quantity and quality of food on offer, claiming that the athletes competing in Paris 2024 have discovered worms in their food. The UK swimmer expressed huge dissatisfaction as he said it will have an impact on athletes' performances.
After placing fourth in the 4x100-meter medley relay on the last night of the swimming competition, 29-year-old Peaty said that the team had been “blindsided” by the difficulties of being in the Village with regard to the food.
“The catering isn't good enough for the level the athletes are expected to perform,” the six-time Olympic medallist told the i.
“We need to give the best we possibly can. [In] 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 queueing system.”
The organizers of the Games have committed to serving sixty percent of all meals served meatless and a third plant-based as part of their sustainability goals, but Peaty stated that did not work for him.
Stressing that athletes have just been forced to embrace the sustainability narrative, he said: “I want 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 not feeding them the best.”
Also Read: Paris Olympics javelin qualification highlights: Neeraj Chopra enters final
Paris Olympics authorities react to the athletes' complaint
A Paris 2024 spokesperson spoke to i and said that the authorities are listening to concerns of 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,” the spokesperson stated.
“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.”
Amidst all the challenges, Peaty tested positive for Covid after winning silver in the 100m breaststroke, an event he has dominated for the better part of a decade.
The British team finished a dismal fourth place in the 4x100m medley relay.
Meanwhile, athlete training session for the marathon swimming was postponed on Tuesday due to persistent worries about the Seine's water quality.
