At the Winter Games, Pizza and Pasta Are the Real Winners

At the Milano Cortina Winter Games, pizza and pasta are proving just as popular as podium finishes. According to Elisabetta Salvadori, head of food and beverage for the Games, the Italian staples have become the top choice among athletes competing in this year’s Winter Olympics.

Speaking at a press conference, Salvadori said carbohydrates are a fundamental component of athletes’ nutrition plans, and Italian cuisine has shaped much of the menu. The demand has been so high that long queues have formed in canteens serving pasta and pizza across the six Olympic villages located in Milan, Predazzo, Bormio, Livigno, Anterselva and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The scale of operations reflects the magnitude of the Games. Nearly 2,900 athletes from 92 countries are competing, with up to 4,500 meals prepared daily in the Milan Village alone, nearly 4,000 in Cortina and 2,300 in Predazzo. Salvadori joked that if every Olympic meal were stacked, the tower would reach 60 kilometers high.

Food is available around the clock to meet the demands of elite athletes. Salvadori noted that hockey players are among the biggest and most frequent eaters.