The crepes. (“Eat as many crepes as you can if you’re in Paris,” track and field Paralympian Noelle Malkamaki said.) The espressos. (“I’m a big coffee guy; a coffee connoisseur,” 3x3 basketball player Dylan Travis said.) The croissants, baguettes and other baked goods. (“Looking forward to macaroons, pastries, bread,” sitting volleyball Paralympian Nicky Nieves said.)
The cheese, or, “fromages” — from Comte to Camembert, Roquefort to Brie. The escargots (“It kind of tastes like chicken,” artistic swimmer Daniella Ramirez said.) The steaks. The mousse. The crème brûlée. The wines — from the Loire Valley or Bordeaux or, of course, Champagne.
There are those, such as breaker Sunny Choi (“After the Games,” she said with a smile, “I will be eating everything”) or rower Michelle Sechser, who know they’ll need to set those sorts of culinary delights aside until the last part of their stay.
Can’t load up on all of that fun stuff too early.
“We do have weight-class restrictions; we have to weigh in two hours before a race,” Sechser said. “So after racing’s done, I’m most excited to get out and explore the Parisian food and really enjoy some French meals.”
Canoe/kayak star Evy Leibfarth, the first American woman to qualify in three whitewater events at an Olympics, looks at the situation from a different perspective.
She makes sure to fill herself with foods conducive to peak performance. But she also does not want to deny herself too much.
“If I’m going to be thinking about my croissant the whole time I’m paddling, I may as well just eat it, you know? So it’s all about balance,” said Leibfarth, a 20-year-old from North Carolina. “It’s just making sure that I’m getting the right amount of protein and the right amount of carbs before a race, while also balancing in the things that I want to eat, because it brings me so much joy.”
As she looked forward to her fifth trip to Paris, Leibfarth offered some words of wisdom to Olympians headed to the City of Light for the first time.
“Probably the best piece of advice I’d give is: See all of the touristy things you can — and then move on to the smaller things. Some of the little art galleries that you just run into, walking down the street, are some of the best that I’ve ever been in,” Leibfarth said. “So don’t be afraid to just drop the recommendations and everything and just walk around and find things to do, because that’s the best I’ve done. And the same with thrift shops and other cutesy little places.”
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