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

Legendary British swimmer Adam Peaty has revealed how athletes have found worms in their food in the Olympic Village. He says: ‘It’s just not good enough.’

The six-time Olympic medallist, who also contracted Covid-19 during the Games, is the latest athlete to express concerns about accommodation for Paris 2024.

The 29-year-old was heralded as one of Team GB’s leading medal contenders ahead of Paris 2024, but only finished second in the 100m breaststroke, an event in which he has been virtually unbeatable for years.

After missing out by two hundredths of a second, he admitted in his post-race interview that he was suffering from a sore throat and, sure enough, the next day he tested positive for Covid.

After beating the virus sufficiently to compete in the men’s 4x100m medley relay last weekend, he was dealt another blow when Team GB finished fourth. He is reportedly still on a potent cocktail of antibiotics.

However, he has since lifted the lid on the alleged shocking catering in Paris, saying there were even ‘worms in the fish’.

‘The catering is not good enough for the level expected from the athletes. We have to give the best we can,’ he told the i-newspaper.

‘Tokyo, the food was great, Rio was great. But this time […] “There weren’t enough protein options, long lines, 30 minute wait for food because there was no queuing system.”

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

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

“The standard is that we look at the best of the best in the world, and we don’t give them the best.

“I just want people to be better at their roles and jobs. And I think athletes are the best sounding board for that.”

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

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

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

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

‘I normally always sleep at home in the afternoon: here I really struggle with the heat and the noise.’

Meanwhile, others have also complained about food shortages during their stay in the Olympic Village, leading to Team GB flying in an emergency cook while food such as chicken and eggs were rationed by the organisers.

The Olympic Village’s catering partner, Sodexo Live!, said it had taken the feedback “seriously” and noted that volumes would be increased to “meet the needs of the athletes” after noting “very high demand for certain products”.

Olympians promised dishes designed by Michelin-starred chefs regretted the food that was offered. British athletes even took their packed lunches back to the village for their evening meal in the run-up to the start of the Games.

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

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

“It probably wasn’t the time I thought I could do, but living in the Olympic Village makes it difficult to perform,” she admitted in a post-race interview.

‘It’s certainly not meant for top performances, it’s about who can really keep it together in their mind.’

French swimmer Touati said: ‘We didn’t have air conditioning in the bedroom but they installed it anyway because it got too hot.’

And 20-year-old tennis star Gauff revealed that she was the only member of the U.S. team left in the Olympic Village after her teammates fled to a hotel. She revealed that 10 women shared two bathrooms in her hallway.

Meanwhile, an Algerian rower said: ‘We have fans in the bedrooms, but it’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 all had air conditioning installed before the Games began, with AOC chief executive Matt Carroll saying: “We like the concept of not having air conditioning because of the carbon footprint,” but adding: “These are high-performance Games. We’re not having a picnic.”

There have also been complaints of theft within the complex, after a number of athletes reported losing belongings and there were no signs of a break-in.

The beds in the Olympic Village have also been the subject of controversy due to their lack of comfort and their ‘woke character’.

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

The ‘anti-sex’ cardboard beds went down a treat with Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns and her teammate Gabi Palm, who said after their first night: ‘My back is about to come off’.

There is a lot of focus on sustainability at the Games, which is certainly a positive given the growing carbon footprint of global sport. However, there seems to be one downside: the impact it has on athletes’ nutrition.

A Paris Olympics spokesperson claimed that their partners have been working hard to ‘adapt’ the requirements to the Olympic Village, with additional staff hired to ensure the smooth running of the service.

Peaty’s revelations about the Olympic Village came after he returned to the Olympics after quitting swimming due to mental health issues.

But after the men’s 4x100m medley relay, he admitted he would be taking another step back.

‘I think [I] “I have to step back from the sport because it just hurt too much this time, honestly,” Peaty said.

‘Tomorrow is never promised, so why should I 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 off.

‘This could have been my last dive here.

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

However, he has qualified those doubts about his future, admitting that he would still keep the door open to LA 2028 and would make a decision in “two years” on whether participating in another Games is “feasible”.