2026 EUROPEAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPSThe European Championships are fully underway, and for some athletes, like Russian Open Water swimmer Alexander Stepanov, the food offerings and city life do not meet expectations. He also commented on Paris as a city, citing rather unpleasant smells, and rats running around under the world-famous Eiffel Tower. Russian open-water coach Kirill Belyaev also spoke with TASS about the food offerings 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 still fulfill what the team needs. “The athletes are used to eating borscht—sorry, we won’t be bringing borscht here. But they’re not complaining, they’re simply sharing their feelings that it’s a little different from ours.”