Paris can mix the smell of baguettes with its tag of being the City of Love, but the Olympics in the city have yet to gain similar fame. The biggest sporting affair is already in its fifth day at this moment. Still, the debates and criticisms have covered a larger space compared to the good words. One such example has come from the South Korean swimming team. Several members of it have left the Games Village fuming over the lack of facilities. One of them, Kim Woo-min, went a few steps ahead, vowing to up his game to show his true self after facing ‘unsporting’ behavior from the authorities. Now things have shifted to the gastronomic affair. 

Several teams had problems with the food served at the Games Village from day one. However, the South Korean swimming team didn’t have to face this issue. Rather, the Asian fish have kept everything sorted with an implemented strategy. Here’s a close look at the situation right now. 

South Korean swimming team braves the situation away from the pool 

“Taegeuk warriors who eat well, carry the hope of the Republic of Korea,” reads the board of Team Korea’s cafeteria at the Games Village. Ultimately, this is the offering from the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) to counter the food issues for the Korean athletes at the Paris Olympics. The results are spontaneous, as the contingent members have displayed their contentment with the Korean meal boxes found in this cafeteria. The South Korean swimming team has also rejoiced in the availability of such sources of nutrition in the middle of the Games. One prominent member of that squad, Hwang Sun-Woo, explained the situation, revealing, “When I previously competed in Europe, I had a hard time over food.” But because of Team Korea’s approach, he looks to be far more settled now. 

His emotions found narration while these were put into words: “But as we have excellent Korean food here, I’ve had no problem adapting.” The KSOC has availed of several staple foods for the South Korean swimming team, as the menu card holds options like rice, tuna, and the usual side dishes. Moreover, the makeshift kitchen in Fontainebleau gives instant food options in rameyon, canned tuna, kimchi, and microwaveable rice. This arrangement will continue as the authority has airlifted the raw materials into Paris by flight. So the team does not need to look out for the ingredients outside. But several other squads don’t have this cushion. 

The sustainability option creates a ruckus in the food availability 

Before the Paris Olympics came into existence, the host had announced shaving off the meat option from the available food in the Olympic Village as much as possible. In that place, they planned to increase plant-based foods to maintain the sustainability theme. Furthermore, efforts are being made to decrease the carbon footprint. The final result of it is the undercooked food that has irked several teams. Team GB is one of those. 

In calling out the situation, Andy Anson, the chief executive of TeamGB, said, “The big one this time is the food in the village, which is not adequate. There are not enough of certain foods: eggs, chicken, certain carbohydrates. And then there is the quality of the food, with raw meat being served to athletes.” According to him, this kind of food will not help the athletes fulfill their body needs. So, the team has also followed the South Korean swimming team’s approach and recruited a chef who cooks the needed food for the British athletes. In the meantime, the food option in Team GB’s performance lodge has found more heads to find the food. So altogether, the approach has been to give a seamless culinary experience to the athletes who are in Paris for the biggest test. Let’s hope the South Korean swimming team’s route will find many more followers.