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McDonald’s in Olympic Village puts cap on free food for athletes

By Ian Pierno

On-road writing welcoming people to a McDonald's in Manchester on Tuesday 19th May 2015. -- The fast-food retailer, McDonald's, is an international franchise and trades throughout the world. The brand is so omnipresent in the world that the price of a Big Mac is used to calculate the purchasing power of a national currency. Some McDonald's restaurants are set-up as franchises whereby a royalty is paid to the McDonald's company for the use of the logo and brand name in order to support the entrepreneur. (Photo by Jonathan Nicholson/NurPhoto) (Photo by NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
On-road writing welcoming people to a McDonald's in Manchester on Tuesday 19th May 2015. -- The fast-food retailer, McDonald's, is an international franchise and trades throughout the world. The brand is so omnipresent in the world that the price of a Big Mac is used to calculate the purchasing power of a national currency. Some McDonald's restaurants are set-up as franchises whereby a royalty is paid to the McDonald's company for the use of the logo and brand name in order to support the entrepreneur. (Photo by Jonathan Nicholson/NurPhoto) (Photo by NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images) /
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Elite athlete = elite diet? Not so much. The McDonald’s fast food restaurant in Rio’s Olympic Village has placed a cap on free food for athletes.

The Washington Post reported that the McDonald’s fast food restaurant located in the Olympic Village has been giving out free food for all athletes competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Due to the unexpected high demand — the line of world-class athletes has reportedly been over 100 meters long at times — the McDonald’s has placed a cap on the number of free items each patron can order at 20.

When the order is over 20 items, the athlete’s priority is reduced and they have to wait even longer for their food.

This isn’t the first time that’s the world’s top athletes have been lured in by McDonald’s. World record holding sprinter Usain Bolt reportedly ate 100 McDonald’s chicken nuggets each day during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

So, why are athletes — many of whom specialize in doing things quickly for a living — electing to wait in tedious lines for fast food? Via The Washington Post:

"“Normally, in the cafeteria, the food isn’t good,” said Idaliz Ortiz, a 26-year-old judoka from Cuba, picking fries out of her bag. “In practically all the arenas, it’s the same. So the whole world always comes here for American food. That’s McDonald’s.”"

Well, if the United States needs a pitch to to bring to Summer Olympics back stateside, they have that quote on their side.

As for the United States’ men’s basketball team’s struggles, it doesn’t appear that a Big Mac diet has played any influence in the squad’s nail-biting victories against overmatched competition; the team has been staying on a luxury cruise ship that’s separate from the Olympic Village.

Related Story: Olympics men's basketball results: Quarterfinals set

As for the Chinese mens’ team, the only team to lose every single game in the group stage, it may indeed be the case. Per The Post:

"“The Chinese basketball team, they come all day, every day,” said one McDonald’s employee, who was not allowed to give his name. “The Chinese eat Big Macs at 9 a.m. It’s crazy.”"

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