Stone cold food, conditions make for an inauspicious debut for ‘The Rock’

China’s brand new downhill course in Yanqing is off to a rough start. Apart from the high winds which postponed the start of the men’s downhill race, athletes faced other mitigating circumstances on and off the mountain. First and foremost? The food, or rather the lack of it.

“There are no hot meals. There are crisps, some nuts and chocolate and nothing else. This shows a lack of focus on high-performance sport,” said German coach Christian Schwaiger.

“The catering is extremely questionable, because really it’s not catering at all. I would have expected that the Olympic Committee is capable of providing hot meals.”

Aptly nicknamed “The Rock” one can hear the echoes of an icy base as skis smack the powder-less slope. The Alpine course sits atop newly built infrastructure of ski lifts, gondolas and roads built specifically for these Games, and is hosting their first ever major event.

At other World Cup events there is typically a buffet for the athletes. COVID0-19 protocols may be the reason for the sparse catering at Yanqing a Team USA spokeswoman said, while also suggesting skiers could bring food from the Athletes’ Village.

However, the German team foresaw this issue days ago, and had requested improvements for similar food the athletes are accustomed to eating at other World Cup events. Those requests and suggestions were unheeded.

Similar complaints have arisen at the Olympic Village where accommodations have been called “unreasonable,” and requests have been made for larger rooms, better hygienic conditions and improved menu items so athletes may compete at the highest level.

Luckily the U.S. team, among others, came prepared with their own food such as bags of pasta that just need hot water added for their meals.

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