PARIS. Paris Olympics organizers announced on Monday that they have resolved initial logistical issues related to food and transportation after receiving complaints from several delegations.
Athletes had voiced concerns over the quality and quantity of food, particularly after catering staff had rationed breakfast eggs last week. The organizers had initially promised a focus on fresh, locally sourced, and organic produce with a variety of vegetarian options. However, some athletes requested more meat.
Carrefour supplied over 600 tonnes of fresh produce while catering firm Sodexo is responsible for preparing around 40,000 meals daily for the 15,000 athletes in the Olympic Village. Paris 2024 CEO Etienne Thobois addressed the situation, saying, “Regarding the food we’ve had to make some adjustments, which is normal in operations that size. There has been a reinforcement in animal proteins with 700 kilos of eggs and a ton of meat (available) to meet the demands of the athletes, who we place at the heart of the Paris 2024 experience.”
Transportation issues also arose, prompting six South Korean swimmers to relocate to a nearby hotel after experiencing long commutes in hot buses. The Korea Swimming Federation made this decision following complaints from swimmers Kim Woo-min and Hwang Sun-woo.
Thobois acknowledged the early transportation problems and stated, “At the beginning of the operations we’ve had some problems concerning the transportation of the athletes, especially before the Games started. We’ve taken measures since then with reserve (buses) to serve the athletes in the best possible way and I think the system is now operating perfectly.”
The Australian delegation, consisting of 460 athletes, came prepared with over three tons of tuna, 10,000 muesli bars, 2,400 meat pies, and three baristas expected to serve more than 20,000 shots of coffee. Despite the initial issues, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) expressed satisfaction with their experience. “This is a high quality village,” the AOC stated. “Early teething issues with transport have been resolved and the food is varied and plentiful after some early shortfalls. Quantities have been increased and staff added. Whenever the AOC has provided feedback, changes are made. Our accommodation is centrally located with easy access to all the main services within the village including the dining hall.”
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
