Adam Peaty reveals athletes have found 'WORMS' in the food at the Olympic Village as the Team GB star blasts 'long queues' and lack of meat at Paris 2024

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  • Adam Peaty leaves the Paris Olympics with a silver medallist to add to his haul 
  • The British breaststroke star contracted Covid the day after his 100m race 
  • Peaty has revealed he will be taking a step away from the sport after the Games 

Team GB swimming legend Adam Peaty has revealed how athletes have found worms in their food at the Olympic Village, declaring: ‘It’s just not good enough.’ 

The six-time Olympic medallist, who has also battled with contracting Covid during the Games, is the latest athlete to raise concerns about the Paris 2024 accommodation.

The 29-year-old was billed as one of Team GB’s biggest medal hopes heading into Paris 2024, however only finished second in the 100m breaststroke event that he has been nigh on invincible in for years. 


After missing out by two hundredths of a second he admitted in his post-race interview that he had been struggling with soreness in his throat, and lo and behold he tested positive for Covid the following day. 

After shaking off the virus to an extent that he was able to compete in the men’s 4x100m medley relay at the weekend, he was then dealt another blow with Team GB finishing fourth, and he is still thought to be on a a potent cocktail of antibiotics. 

However, he has since lifted the lid on the allegedly shocking nature of catering in Paris, claiming that there were even ‘worms in the fish’. 

Adam Peaty has lifted the lid on the state of the food on offer to athletes at the Olympic Village

Adam Peaty has lifted the lid on the state of the food on offer to athletes at the Olympic Village

He admitted that there were some athletes finding 'worms in the fish' at the Paris facility

He admitted that there were some athletes finding ‘worms in the fish’ at the Paris facility

‘The catering isn’t good enough for the level the athletes are expected to perform. We need to give the best we possibly can,’ he told the i paper. 

‘Tokyo, the food was incredible, Rio was incredible. But this time around […] there wasn’t enough protein options, long queues, waiting 30 minutes for food because there’s no queuing system.’

He added: ‘The narrative of sustainability has just been punished on the athletes. I want to eat meat, I need meat to perform and that’s what I eat at home, so why should I change?’ Peaty adds.

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Adam Peaty reveals he will ‘STEP AWAY’ from swimming

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‘I like my fish and people are finding worms in the fish. It’s just not good enough.

‘The standard, we’re looking at the best of the best in the world, and we’re feeding them not the best.

‘I just want people to get better at their roles and jobs. And I think that’s what the athletes are the best sounding board for.’

Peaty joins a growing number of athletes in complaining about the conditions at the Olympic Village.

Last week, Italian gold medallist Thomas Ceccon was even spotted taking a nap in a Paris park to avoid the athlete’s accommodation.

Ceccon, who won gold in the men’s 100m backstroke, said: ‘There is no air conditioning in the village, it’s hot, the food is bad.

‘Many athletes move for this reason: it’s not an alibi or excuse, it’s the reality of what perhaps not everyone knows.

‘Usually, when I’m at home, I always sleep in the afternoon: here I really struggle between the heat and the noise.’

Meanwhile, others have also complained about food shortages during their stay at Olympic Village. It led to Team GB flying out an emergency chef amid foods such as chicken and eggs being rationed by organisers.

The Olympic Village’s catering partner, Sodexo Live!, said it had taken the feedback ‘seriously’, noting that volumes will be increased to ‘satisfy the needs of the athletes’ after noticing a ‘very high demand for certain products’.

Olympians promised cuisine designed by Michelin-starred chefs have lamented the food on offer. British athletes even resorted to taking packed lunches back to the village for their evening meal in the lead-up to the start of the Games.

Thomas Ceccon was spotted sleeping in a park instead of inside the Olympic village

Thomas Ceccon was spotted sleeping in a park instead of inside the Olympic village

Ceccon has complained of the appalling conditions on offer for athletes in Paris

Ceccon has complained of the appalling conditions on offer for athletes in Paris

The food on offer has come in for scrutiny, with Peaty also suggesting that the 'best in the world' are not getting similar standards of catering

The food on offer has come in for scrutiny, with Peaty also suggesting that the ‘best in the world’ are not getting similar standards of catering

Ariarne Titmus, Assia Touati and Coco Gauff have also raised concerns about the accommodation provided by Paris organisers.

After defending her Olympic gold medal in the 400m freestyle, Aussie swimmer Titmus felt she could have broken the world record had she been staying in better accommodation.

‘It probably wasn’t the time I thought I was capable of, but living in the Olympic Village makes it hard to perform,’ she admitted in an interview after the race.

‘It’s definitely not made for high performance, so it’s about who can really keep it together in the mind.’

French swimmer Touati, said: ‘We had no AC in the bedroom but they installed it anyway because it was getting too hot.’ 

And 20-year-old tennis star Gauff revealed that she was the only member of the American team still staying in the Olympic Village after her teammates fled to a hotel. She revealed 10 women were sharing two bathrooms in her corridor. 

Meanwhile, an Algerian rower, said: ‘We have fans in the bedrooms, but that’s not enough. It’s too hot at night. We can’t leave the windows open because of the mosquitoes — too many mosquitoes.’

Australia, Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan, America and China had all installed air conditioning before the Games began, with AOC chief executive Matt Carroll saying: ‘We appreciate the concept of not having air conditioning due to the carbon footprint’ but added ‘this is a high-performance Games. We’re not going for a picnic.’

There’s also been complaints over thievery within the complex, after a number of athletes reported missing items and no signs of break-ins.

The beds in the Olympic Village have also been the focus of controversy for their lack of comfort and their ‘wokeness’.

The single beds, produced by Airwave, feature cardboard frames as part of the organisers’ sustainability efforts.

The ‘anti-sex’ cardboard beds went down like a lead balloon with Aussie water polo star Tilly Kearns and teammate Gabi Palm, who said ‘my back is about to fall off’ after their first night.

There has been a drive towards sustainability at the Games, which is surely a positive given the increasing carbon footprint of global sport, yet the one drawback would appear to be the impact that is having on athletes’ nutrition. 

A spokesperson for the Paris Olympics claimed that their partners have been working hard to ‘adapt supplies’ to the Olympic Village, with additional staff reportedly being employed in order to help the service run smoothly. 

Peaty will be taking a step back from swimming after the Olympics but has left the door open to LA 2028

Peaty will be taking a step back from swimming after the Olympics but has left the door open to LA 2028

Peaty finished fourth in the men's 4x100m medley relay event after recovering from Covid

Peaty finished fourth in the men’s 4x100m medley relay event after recovering from Covid

Peaty’s revelations about the Olympic Village come after he returned to the Olympics, having stepped away from swimming over mental health battles.

But following the men’s 4x100m medley relay, he admitted that he would once more be taking a step back. 

‘I think [I] have got to step away from the sport because it has just hurt too much this time, it really has,’ said Peaty.

‘Tomorrow is never promised, so why worry? If my heart wants it, my heart wants it, and I will absolutely sign that contract with myself to do it. But that may be a long way away.

‘It could have been my last swim here.

‘Mel (Marshall, Peaty’s long-standing coach) has got an incredible future ahead of her in Australia and the right talent will head her way. I don’t know what the answer is.’

He has however qualified those doubts over his future, admitting to the i that he would still leave the door open to LA 2028, and make a call in ‘two years’ time’ over whether participation at another Games is ‘achievable’.