Russian Swimmer Alexander Stepanov Complains about Paris, Coach Kirill Belyaev Says Its Nice

2026 EUROPEAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The European Championships are totally underway, and for some athletes, like Russian Open Water swimmer Alexander Stepanov, the meals choices and metropolis life don’t meet expectations.

Stepanov, who completed twentieth within the males’s 5km and didn’t end the 10km race at these championships, spoke to Russian news outlet TASS, saying he had hoped the food would be good, though he feels it is not. He additionally commented on Paris as a metropolis, citing reasonably disagreeable smells, and rats operating round below the world-famous Eiffel Tower.

“I was hoping the food would be tasty, but it’s not. It stinks everywhere here, nothing pleasant—urine, garbage.” Stepanov mentioned. “I also wanted to go to the catacombs in Paris, but I won’t be able to. And there are rats running around under the Eiffel Tower.”

Russian open-water coach Kirill Belyaev additionally spoke with TASS concerning the meals choices for athletes at these Championships, saying that while the food is different from what Russian athletes may typically be used to, the options are totally fine and nonetheless fulfill what the crew wants.

“The food isn’t ideal for our athletes, but they have everything they need—carbohydrates, protein. Plenty,” Belyaev informed TASS. “The athletes are used to eating borscht—sorry, we won’t be bringing borscht here. We didn’t come here to eat food, but to compete. They have everything they need. The guys admitted they weren’t expressing their thoughts correctly, but the food is fine. I understand it’s a little unusual; pasta salad or lentils are foreign to our mentality. But they’re not complaining, they’re simply sharing their feelings that it’s a little different from ours.”