The Australian contingent of athletes that will compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have been hard at work preparing to compete for their place on the podium.
With a rigorous physical training schedule that commences months, and sometimes years, prior to an Olympic Games, athletes make many sacrifices in order to ensure their body is in peak condition.
An important part of this preparation is maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet to fuel their body right up until they compete.
To enable this, a team of chefs and nutritionists work tirelessly to plan out the food offerings at the athletes’ village.
This year, the Summer Olympics will take place in Paris, France between July 26th and August 11.
For the length of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, athletes will be treated to gourmet cuisine from the culinary capital of Europe.
Michelin star chefs are expected to serve an estimated 40,000 meals per day to approximately 15,000 athletes from the 200 countries that will be residing in the athletes’ village on the banks of the River Seine in the north of Paris.
Specifically for Australian athletes, it is expected that our Olympians will consume 2,400 pies, three tonnes of tuna, 10,000 muesli bars, 340 kilograms of rice, 1,400 kilograms of cereals, 9,7000 slushies, and 20,000 shots of coffee.
While French will be the main cuisine, Asian, African, Caribbean, and various other international dishes will also be on offer to provide as many options as possible for athletes.
According to organisers, all meals available in the village (500 in total) will be based on seasonal products, with 80 percent of ingredients coming from France.
French food services company Sodexo Live! will be overseeing the catering at the athletes’ village, which will include “grab and go” food stands and a sit-down eatery that can cater to 3,500 athletes at any one time.
“Of course, there will be some classics for athletes, like pasta. But the food will have a very French touch,” Sodexo Live! global CEO Nathalie Bellon-Szabo has previously shared with the media.
As well as enjoying the sights, sounds, and culture of the city of love, Olympic athletes will also be able to watch their food being made in front of them, “so they’ll be able to chat and better understand what French cuisine is about – and to understand a bit of our culture as well,” renowned French chef Amandine Chaignot shared with the Associated Press in early May.
And in a fun, interactive opportunity, there will be hands-on baking sessions every day for athletes wanting to try their hand at baking a baguette of their own – yum!
Want more Olympic content? Read more below:
All the Aussies who have qualified to compete at the Paris Olympics
Your first look at the official Aussie uniforms for the Paris Olympic Games
Each and every single sport Australian athletes will compete in at the Paris Olympic Games
Here’s when and where you can watch the Paris Olympic Games
