The concern about a shortage of food at the Paris Olympics appears at an end, after Australia’s super heavyweight boxer Teremoana Junior endorsed the menu at his team’s private bistro, as additional supplies flood into the Village.
The 26-year-old stands 2m tall, weighs 120kg and said last week the two lamb chop per person limit at the main dining hall in the Village was, for his needs, barely half a meal.
But after winning his first round bout against Ukrainian Dmytro Lovchynskyi on Monday, Teremoana outlined his plans for his next bout. “I’m going to probably have a few more tacos,” he said.
His comments came a few hours after the AOC was forced to issue a statement following swirling rumours about inadequate nutrition. “This is a high quality village,” it said, and “the food is varied and plentiful after some early shortfalls”.
Australian athletes in the main village have access to the main dining hall, as well as a separate area that includes a barista, a pantry of Australian products the athletes might find in Woolworths, and the Tucker Box Bistro – another dining option only accessible for Australians.
The team will consume more than 1,000 soft tortillas and hard shell tacos, as well as 30kg of salsa, as part of the “Taco Tuesday” initiative which is designed to both offer food alternatives to the main village, and a reason to socialise with other athletes.
In addition to serving Mexican food, the bistro is offering pie nights, 2,000 ready-made meals, and breakfast items and cereals.
The catering partner for the Olympic Village conceded last week there had been high demand for certain products, including grilled meat and eggs, and they pledged to increase supply.
“Regarding the food we’ve had to make some adjustments, which is normal in operations that size, Paris 2024 chief executive Etienne Thobois said on Monday.
“There has been a reinforcement in animal proteins with 700 kilos of eggs and a tonne of meat to meet the demands of the athletes, who we place at the heart of the Paris 2024 experience.”
New supplies have made their way into the kitchen this week and complaints about the food have slowed.
However there remain some concerns from athletes about beds in the village, especially among those just arriving, such as the track and field team.
The beds are made of cardboard, and have a top layer with variations in softness, but some still find them too hard and are using mattress toppers.
The AOC organised air conditioners for every room in the Australians’ part of the village, pre-empting issues currently being faced by athletes of other countries, as temperatures in Paris reach the mid-30s.
