LSU gymnast Aleah Finnegan will represent the Philippines at the Olympics in Paris this summer. She is coming off of an individual and team national championship in April with hopes of a gold medal in the floor exercise.
Although Finnegan is thrilled to represent her mother’s country, the 21-year-old is slightly let down by the food at the Athlete’s Village.
According to the International Olympic Committee, the 2024 Games will feature approximately 10,500 athletes. That doesn’t include their coaches, their support staffers or their team administrators.
Needless to say, a lot of people need to eat. The catering staff expects to serve up to 40,000 meals each day, both in the dining hall as well as to-go containers.
There is not a scarcity of different food options at the Olympics!
The main canteen in the Olympic Village is open 24/7, which is huge for athletes who will compete and practice outside of “normal” meal times. Grab-and-go food is served at five different kiosks. There is also a separate smaller food court that features Michelin-star French chefs like Amandine Chaignot.
Meals at the primary dining hall fall into four categories:
- France
- Salt cod and potato mash
- Veggie bourguignon
- Africa-Carribbean
- Shakshuka stir-fry with peppers and onions
- Asia
- Minced pork with Thai basil and basmati rice
- World
- Veggie moussaka
40 different meals from each of the four regions are offered daily with fruit, dessert— and plenty of local French bread. Athletes also have access to a hot food buffet, a salad bar and a separate grill.
80% of the food served is of French origin. 25% is sourced with 155 miles of Paris. Pretty cool!
Finnegan recently provided a tour of the main canteen at the Olympics. Although she’s impressed by the number of different options, the LSU star is disappointed by the lack of seasoning. It apparently could be better.
With that being said, Finnegan is of Filipino descent and goes to school in Baton Rouge. Her standard for well-seasoned food is high. The British athletes are probably on the other end of the spectrum. They probably think that the food is too spicy.