There will be no chips. No deep fryers will be allowed in the athletes' accommodation. Those who want that kind of food will have to look elsewhere, unlike in Rio 2016, where a restaurant from one of the world's best-known fast-food chains was installed in the Olympic Village.

Last Tuesday, athletes, officials and journalists visited the 3,300-seat restaurant in the Paris Olympic Village. The dining hall has six different food areas offering dishes from around the world. Half of the 50 dishes available each day are 100 per cent vegetarian.

"People will gather here in France, with its culture, its heritage, but also its gastronomy, so there are expectations," Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris 2024 organisers, told reporters. Athletes will follow their usual diet before competing, but they will also have the opportunity to discover France's famous cuisine. Several Michelin-starred chefs have been hired as consultants.

"We have allowed ourselves to showcase French gastronomy so that curious athletes from all over the world can experience French culinary excellence," added Estanguet. However, these huge hot food buffets will not include French fries. This summer in Paris, potatoes will be the big absentee. Some athletes with specific habits and routines will not be able to indulge them.

"Estelle Lamotte, deputy director of catering at the Village for food services company Sodexo, told reporters: "For technical reasons, we can't serve French fries. On the other hand, the quality of the "delicious" lentil dal recipe developed for the athletes was highlighted by Gregoire Bechu, head of sustainable food at the Paris organising committee. More lentils, less potatoes. "We wanted vegetarian meals everywhere".

Sixty per cent of the food on offer to fans at the venues will be vegetarian. The temporary stadium for skateboarding, BMX and breakdancing on Place de la Concorde in central Paris will be completely meat-free.

The enemy already lurking in Paris is heat. It will have to be fought as best it can. In a further effort to reduce carbon emissions, only two of the six restaurant areas in the village will be air-conditioned. The rest will be in outdoor courtyards, protected by fabric awnings and ventilated by overhead fans. During last Tuesday's test run, which took place in bright sunshine and temperatures of 27°C (80°F), some people were visibly sweating.

"I think we've found a good compromise between getting the right temperature and also reducing the CO2 we're emitting," said Estanguet. "This is one of the main challenges of the Paris 2024 edition."

Another innovative aspect of Paris 2024 is that the apartments in the Olympic Village do not have standard air conditioning, so the Olympic teams have taken it upon themselves to install their own cooling units. The summers in Paris are usually harsh. Although this year's weather forecast is for a milder summer than usual, the athletes will certainly be more comfortable if the air is a little cooler.