Italy is determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past. With the Winter Olympics opening ceremony just four days away, athletes have already begun arriving in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. But the biggest worry on many minds is how the Olympic Village food compares this time, after the widespread criticism during the 2024 Paris Games. Well, it seems American figure skater Alysa Liu has something to share.

After a strong 2025 season, the 20-year-old is heading into her second Olympics with confidence. She has already stepped onto the ice in Milan and completed early practice sessions smoothly.

But like any sportsman will tell you, skill is not where the good performances start. Food plays a big factor, not only in energy but also in comfort. But it appears that Liu is loving the food for now.

“Alysa Liu in the mixed: She’s loving the food in the Village – pasta with ragu, roasted chicken, and veggies; having lava cake for breakfast,” figure skating analyst Jackie Wong shared on X.

Liu usually loves home-style dishes and Chinese food specifically. When she is traveling, she tends to detour to seek out Asian cuisine. “That’s all we cook,” she once said. “So when I’m on the road, I always try to find Chinese or Asian food.”

Though it’s far from Asian food, the menu at the Olympic Village has evidently been adequate.

The dining hall serves a wide variety of food that is familiar and satisfying, run by Italian caterers. The new menus have included chicken, pork, turkey and fish, Italian dishes like pasta with red sauce or meat ragu, pizza and focaccia. Gluten free options are also available, as is a salad bar.

Beyond the food, the general atmosphere in the Village is a calmer one than during the Games of previous years. Common venues include activity areas where IOC partners support athletes to relax without the burdens of playing.

The room consists of one bed and a storage space underneath it, a wardrobe with hangers and a drying rack, a laundry bag, and simple cleaning equipment. Power points are very numerous and USB ports are present around the bed.

This is all very contrasting with the past Olympics, where dissatisfaction with food, facilities and comfort made headlines early on.

Why the 2024 Paris Olympics became a cautionary tale for Olympic Village planning

The Olympic Village has often become a talking point for the wrong reasons. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, criticism began almost as soon as athletes arrived, and it went far beyond casual grumbling.

The official organizers of Paris 2024 stated that the dining halls were built with the aim of a sustainability objective, with “2 [times] more plant-based food on the plate for 2 [times] less CO2.” Although the concept was good, various athletes believed that its implementation was not quite satisfactory to them.

Australian swimming star Ariarne Titmus publicly admitted that she was experiencing problems with nutrition because she could not get enough protein, which was essential for a high level of performance.

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Team Great Britain made complaints after being served undercooked chicken. Even Simone Biles said that it was not so much traditional French food but a more sport-centered one. Her teammate Hezly Rivera was more direct, saying, “I don’t think it’s very good, at least what we’re having in the dining hall.” But food was not the only issue.

In Paris, the rooms of several athletes were excessively hot. Since the village used a sustainable cooling system rather than conventional air conditioning, a number of countries decided to carry portable AC units themselves.

The issue of living conditions also became a subject of discussion. In some blocks, there were shared bathrooms, cramped areas, and the cardboard-like beds that most athletes reported were not ideal for rest and recovery.

But Paris was not the first host city to with such issues. At the Rio Olympics, officials in Australia and other countries had been reporting serious readiness concerns, before the Games started.

Plumbing failures, leaking pipes, blocked toilets, and electrical issues in certain apartment buildings caused athletes to spend extra time before being moved into the village. The condition was so severe that teams didn’t want to settle in until it was repaired.

That history is exactly why the early mood at the current Olympic Village is notable.