Former Olympian Amir Khan has laid into London 2012 organisers for allowing McDonald's to open their largest ever restaurant in the Olympic Park.
The giant fast-food chain are set to open a 3,000 square metre, two-story restaurant in the centre of the Park. It will be one of four McDonald's restaurants on the site, including one in the athlete's village.
Khan has slammed the move for sending out the wrong message to young people, despite Olympic organisers moving to defend the decision.
'Mistake': Amir Khan has criticised London 2012 for allowing McDonald's to open four outlets at the Olympic Park
'Mistake': Amir Khan has criticised London 2012 for allowing McDonald's to open four outlets at the Olympic Park
The 2004 silver medallist said: 'It is clearly sending the wrong signal to kids and young people. If we want them to be healthy and educate them to eat healthily, we need to think about approaching them in a different way, especially around sport.
'The Olympics are a great opportunity to show young people what types of food they need in different aspects of their lives. I think this is a mistake.'
McDonald's has been an Olympic sponsor for 35 years and London 2012 this week offered a defence of their decision.
Olympian: Khan, who won silver at Athens, is currently in Las Vegas preparing to fight Zab Judah
Olympian: Khan, who won silver at Athens, is currently in Las Vegas preparing to fight Zab Judah
A spokesman said: 'McDonald�s is a long-term Olympic sponsor of the Olympic movement and has been an Olympic partner for many years, but we will make sure that a wide variety of food is available in the Olympic Park.'
As an official sponsor, McDonald's will be the only branded restaurants on site.
Official sponsor: McDonald's will be the only branded restaurant on site
Official sponsor: McDonald's will be the only branded restaurant on site
And despite organisers insisting there will be a variety of food on offer, McDonald's revealed they plan to sell 1.75 million meals during the Games. A figure which equates to two meals per ticket sold and that is 500,000 more meals than were sold at Beijing in 2008.
The company�s UK chief executive, Jill McDonald, said: 'To be involved in the greatest sporting event on earth is hugely exciting. We want everyone who visits our Olympic Park restaurants to have the best possible experience.'
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The giant fast-food chain are set to open a 3,000 square metre, two-story restaurant in the centre of the Park. It will be one of four McDonald's restaurants on the site, including one in the athlete's village.
Khan has slammed the move for sending out the wrong message to young people, despite Olympic organisers moving to defend the decision.
'Mistake': Amir Khan has criticised London 2012 for allowing McDonald's to open four outlets at the Olympic Park
'Mistake': Amir Khan has criticised London 2012 for allowing McDonald's to open four outlets at the Olympic Park
The 2004 silver medallist said: 'It is clearly sending the wrong signal to kids and young people. If we want them to be healthy and educate them to eat healthily, we need to think about approaching them in a different way, especially around sport.
'The Olympics are a great opportunity to show young people what types of food they need in different aspects of their lives. I think this is a mistake.'
McDonald's has been an Olympic sponsor for 35 years and London 2012 this week offered a defence of their decision.
Olympian: Khan, who won silver at Athens, is currently in Las Vegas preparing to fight Zab Judah
Olympian: Khan, who won silver at Athens, is currently in Las Vegas preparing to fight Zab Judah
A spokesman said: 'McDonald�s is a long-term Olympic sponsor of the Olympic movement and has been an Olympic partner for many years, but we will make sure that a wide variety of food is available in the Olympic Park.'
As an official sponsor, McDonald's will be the only branded restaurants on site.
Official sponsor: McDonald's will be the only branded restaurant on site
Official sponsor: McDonald's will be the only branded restaurant on site
And despite organisers insisting there will be a variety of food on offer, McDonald's revealed they plan to sell 1.75 million meals during the Games. A figure which equates to two meals per ticket sold and that is 500,000 more meals than were sold at Beijing in 2008.
The company�s UK chief executive, Jill McDonald, said: 'To be involved in the greatest sporting event on earth is hugely exciting. We want everyone who visits our Olympic Park restaurants to have the best possible experience.'
Read more:
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