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'Not great', 'not really seasoned', Olympic athletes complain about Paris food
"It's been a struggle."
Athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics have recently been reviewing their meals at the Olympics Village.
Across TikTok, many international athletes have expressed their distaste for the foods served at the accommodation.
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"Not great", "not really seasoned"
According to the Olympics website, the meals are catered by Sodexo Live, part of U.S. event company Sodexo Group.
Apart from athletes, Sodexo Live is also responsible for providing food to spectators and organisational staff.
In a video shared on Jul. 28 (Singapore time), U.S. volleyball player Erik Shoji documented his supper at the dining hall and shared his mixed reactions.
Although he commented that the pesto sauce for his pasta was "good" and that the noodles "weren't really over done", he lamented the tastes of the broccoli and grilled chicken in his meal.
Tasting the broccoli, he said that it "tasted like steamed broccoli".
He then ate the chicken and added: "That also tastes how you might expect it. Not terrible, not great.”
Aleah Finnegan, a gymnast competing for the Philippines, shared her experience at the Olympic Village in a TikTok video on Jul. 23.
She had recorded a walk through the dining hall before settling down and reviewing her meal.
Finnegan said that although the food is "good", she felt that it was "not really seasoned,”
She pointed out that there is a seasoning station, and added that the food is "just pretty basic".
"It just probably needs some seasoning a little bit. Personal preference, that’s me."
In another TikTok video shared on Jul. 26, U.S. track and field athlete Raven Sanders in which they showed an unidentified food item on a stick which appeared to be burnt.
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Their caption also read: "It's been a struggle."
Not all bad
Despite the mixed reactions, some athletes have found a common favourite food item at the Olympics Village.
U.S. fencer Lee Kiefer, who had a chocolate muffin served at the dining hall, gave it a five-star rating.
Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen also shared his approval for the muffin, dubbing it "insane" and rating it 11 out of 10 in a video on Jul. 26.
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Top photos via Erik Shoji, Lee Kiefer & Henrik Christiansen/TikTok
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