環境に優しい選手村メニューに「肉が足りない」 パリ五輪

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】環境に優しい五輪をうたうパリ五輪では、大会関連の温室効果ガス排出量をこれまでの五輪の半分に抑えるという野心を掲げている。だがこの挑戦は今、選手村の食堂で、肉好きのアスリートたちの旺盛な食欲という強敵に直面している。（写真は、パリ五輪選手村の食堂の試験オープンに出席した、パリ五輪大会組織委員会のトニー・エスタンゲ会長）
　約４０棟の低層タワーが連なる選手村には大会期間中、約１万５００人のアスリートが滞在する。
　パリ五輪大会組織委員会のトニー・エスタンゲ会長は６月に行われた選手村食堂の試験オープンの際、排出量削減目標を達成するためにベジタリアンメニューを多く提供すると語った。
　組織委員会は、美食の国フランスを訪れる人々の期待を裏切らないことを約束し、仏ケータリング事業大手「ソデクソ」に委託した食事提供のアドバイザーとして、レストランガイド・ミシュランの星付きシェフらを迎え入れた。
　だが、パリ北郊の貧困地域に位置する選手村では、開村後の数日間、競技やトレーニングで激しく消耗した体力を回復したいアスリートたちから、肉や卵、大盛りなどのオーダーが相次いだ。
　「唯一の問題は食料不足だ」。ホンジュラスの競泳選手フリオ・ホレゴさんは７月２９日、ＡＦＰに語った。「少し驚いた」
　１日に５０００キロカロリーを摂取するというホレゴ選手は前日の日曜、午前１０時半に朝食を取りに食堂へ行ったが、そのときにはもう卵がまったく残っていなかった。「少し遅れて行ったら、もう足りない状態だ」
　ルーマニアのローイング選手ユリアン・チェラルさんは、何か足りないものはあるかという質問に「肉だ」と即答した。後から「肉が足りなかったが、今は解決した」と付け加えた。
　ドイツの競泳選手ルーカス・マツェラトさんは「最初は盛り付けの量が少なかったが、今は改善された」と語った。
　選手村の食堂には、世界中の料理を提供する六つの異なるエリアがある。毎日提供される５０メニューのうち半分は、完全なベジタリアン料理だ。
　カナダのビーチバレー選手、ソフィー・ブコベックさんは、「私たちは野菜が好きだから問題ない」が、「中には肉を大量に食べるアスリートもいる。彼らは解決策を模索している」と語った。
　食事提供を担当しているソデクソは７月３１日、ＡＦＰに対し、食堂のメニューを調整したと説明した。
　グループの広報担当者は「卵と肉のグリル料理の需要が高いので、量を大幅に増やした」と述べた。「ここ数日で、提供している量は需要に見合ったものになっている」という。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/08/02-20:51）

An ambition from Paris Olympics organisers to cut the carbon footprint of catering at this year's eco-friendly Games has run into a problem: the huge appetites of meat-loving athletes.
At a trial run at the Olympics village restaurant in June, Games supremo Tony Estanguet stressed how Paris 2024 was aiming to cut the average carbon emissions per meal in half compared to previous Olympics by offering more vegetarian food.
Promising not to disappoint visitors to a country famed for its gastronomy, the organising committee also took on several Michelin-starred chefs as advisors to work alongside its food contractor, French multinational Sodexo.
But the first few days in the village, located in a deprived suburb north of Paris, saw demands for more meat, eggs and bigger helpings as athletes looked to replenish themselves after gruelling competitions or gym sessions.
The only issue would be the food shortages, swimmer Julio Horrego from Honduras told AFP on Monday when asked about life in the village. It's a bit surprising.
Horrego, who says he eats up to 5,000 calories per day, said he turned up for breakfast at 10:30am on Sunday only to find there were no eggs left.
If you arrive a bit late, then there aren't enough, he said at the entrance to the village which is buzzing with activity and can house 10,500 athletes in its roughly 40 low-rise towers.
Romanian rower, Iulian Chelaru, gave a clear answer when asked if there was anything missing: meat.
We didn't have enough meat, but now it's solved, he added.
German swimmer Lucas Matzerath, 24, said that the size of helpings was also increasing.
At the start there were not very big portions for people, but it's improved now, he said.
The food hall includes six different dining areas offering meals from around the globe, with half of the 50 dishes available each day being 100-percent vegetarian.
We enjoy our greens, so it's not a problem, Canadian beach volleyball player Sophie Bukovec said as she left the complex. Some of the athletes are big meat-eaters. They're trying to sort it out. There is protein you just have to know where to find it.
- On the grill -
Sodexo told AFP on Wednesday said it had adjusted its menus.
Eggs and grilled meat dishes have been in high demand, so volumes have been increased significantly, a spokeswoman for the group said. For several days now the quantities offered are in line with demand.
The vegetarian-heavy food offering is not the only difference in the Paris village compared with previous editions, leading some critics to brand it woke.
The housing complex, which will be converted into apartments after the Games, was built without air-conditioning and instead has a renewable underfloor geo-thermal cooling and heating system.
Some teams such as the US, Great Britain, the Netherlands or France have opted to install portable coolers for their athletes, but others are having to do without, with temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday above 30 degrees Celsius (95 F) with high humidity.
I suffer in the hot weather, but up until now I've slept well with just a fan, said Italian beach volleyball player Marta Menegatti. AC would be better for recovery though.
- Cardboard beds -
Other have found the innovative Japan-made beds used in the village tricky to adjust to.
Their bases are made from cardboard and the mattresses from recycled plastic including fish nets, leading some to joke in the past that they were anti-sex and designed to stop athletes jumping between the sheets.
My bed is too hard, it's not the best, Spanish handballer Lysa Tchaptchet told AFP, words echoed by Polish fencer Martyna Swatowska-Wenglarczyk.
Others were enthusiastic about the efforts made by Paris 2024 organising commitee to be more sustainable, including by cutting emisions and making sure all of the equipmenmt, including the beds, can be recycled or re-used afterwards.
I really enjoy it and like what they've done in the village, Signe Bro, a Danish swimmer, told AFP. It does the job now but it's great to know for us athletes how it will be used in the future, and that it has been built in a sustainable way.
You can laugh about the beds but it's good to know you don't have 10,000 beds left over at the end.