Why Olympics has ditched McDonald’s chicken nuggets from athletes' diets
When you think of foods associated with the Olympics, the fried delights from the golden arches probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind.
However McDonald's has long been linked to the Olympic Games, thanks to a 41-year partnership.
But not anymore.
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While McDonald's and the Olympics have been closely linked over the past few decades - thanks to the fast food giant giving up to $1 billion (£774,655,000) every four years - the deal was called off during 2018, with Tokyo 2020 being the first games not to be sponsored by the world famous brand.
It appears that Paris is looking to move away from the association completely, by axing fast food options from the athletes' menu.
Which is bad news for any athletes hoping to unwind with a Big Mac on their eco-friendly 'anti-sex' beds.
Rather than McDonald's, athletes staying at Paris Saint-Denis accommodation will be able to sample a variety of local French cuisines during their stay.
Staples such as croissants, pain au chocolats and various local cheeses will be on offer, while The Times adds that chicken skewers, salmon fillets and margherita pizza have also been requested.
"It’s fair to reflect that it’s a much healthier Olympics in Paris – no McDonald’s, no chicken nuggets, more healthy food. It’s definitely less junk food. We really try to push the quality high," head of catering Philipp Wurz said of the decision.
He continued: "We tried to come up with a very specific plan to promote the French know-how, the savoir faire of the French cuisine, which of course, has a reputation all over the planet.
"One very specific French feature that we have is our Michelin-starred chef kitchen, so twice per day the athletes can also go there and really discover very high-level French cuisine cooked on site by our Michelin-star chefs. We have four of them and eight recipes, so this has become a very popular spot."
The move is a big departure from athlete diets at London 2012, where Wurz claimed up to 20 percent of meals were catered for by the fast food company.
In fact McDonald's chicken nuggets would even go on to find themselves cemented in Olympic folklore after eight-time gold medal winner Usain Bolt revealed he'd tucked into over 1,000 nuggets during just 10 days at the 2008 Beijing Games.
This works out at around 100 nuggets per day, just in case you were wondering what it takes to fuel the world's fastest man.
For any athlete desperate to satisfy their appetite throughout the duration of the Games, burgers and hot dogs will be available in the village - just a healthier option instead.
There will also be a wide range of vegetarian options on offer.
"Once the competition is over, they can also just let it go and fully profit on what everything France offers best," he added.
Topics: Olympics, Food And Drink
Brenna Cooper