There have been many complaints about the quality of food at the Olympic village, and recently, poor service has been reported by athletes.

Great Britain’s three-time Olympic gold medallist (2016 and 2020) Adam Peaty only won silver in the 100m breaststroke at the 2024 Paris Olympics . While not placing blame, the 29-year-old said the quality of food served at the Olympic Village had a significant impact on the athletes’ performance.

“At a tournament of the highest level, athletes expect to be fed the best possible food,” Peaty said. “The food in Tokyo is fantastic. Rio is fantastic. But this time? We had to stand in long lines, wait 30 minutes for food because there was no queuing system, and then find out there weren’t enough protein options.”

As part of its commitment to sustainability for the Games, the Paris 2024 Olympic Organizing Committee is aiming for 60% of meals served to be meat-free and a third to be plant-based, but Peaty says this is unreasonable.

“Why is sustainability being brought up with athletes?” he said, “I want meat, and I need to eat meat to compete. That’s my normal diet, why should I change? I also like to eat fish. And here, some athletes have found worms in the fish. It’s bad.”

Since the start, the 2024 Olympic Organizing Committee has faced criticism from athletes staying at the Olympic Village, from uncomfortable beds, lack of mattresses, to excessively high temperatures and lack of air conditioning. In addition, the meals, advertised as being prepared by Michelin chefs, lack meat and are of questionable quality. In addition to the “worms in fish” phenomenon that Peaty reported, athletes have previously discovered raw meat.

At the Olympic Village , chefs serve around 40,000 meals a day to nearly 15,000 athletes, in food courts designed around different themes and divided into six service areas to ensure athletes can find food that best suits their tastes and cultures.