People are claiming that Coca-Cola banned coffee at the Olympics

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A staff serves beverages at a Starbucks coffee shop in Seoul, South Korea, March 7, 2016. Picture taken March 7, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Thomson Reuters

A staff serves beverages at a Starbucks coffee shop in Seoul

People are freaking out over reports that there's a coffee shortage at the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro, and they are blaming Coca-Cola.

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But Coca-Cola says the reports are false.

Stories spread about the alleged shortage after Egyptian archer Ahmed El-Nemr told NPR that there was no coffee at village apartment buildings or at the sports venues.

"I have some complaints about coffee," he said. "I asked. They said we are only limited to Coca-Cola products."

As stories of the "shortage" were shared online, people lashed out at Coca-Cola and the Olympics in general, saying it was an "unmitigated disaster" and a "hot mess."

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Some people threatened to boycott Coca-Cola over the "shortage."

But Coca-Cola says there's plenty of coffee in the Olympic Village.

"This was misreported - there is absolutely coffee in the Olympic Village, it's just not a Coca-Cola brand," Kate Hartman, spokeswoman for Coca-Cola, told Business Insider.

Coca-Cola is one of the Olympic sponsors and it's supplying beverages to the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro, where athletes are staying.

"There are several coffee machines provided by ROCOG (the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games) in the cafeteria, lounges and common areas throughout the village," Hartman said.

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In addition to the ROCOG coffee machines, there are also Starbucks locations and other coffee shops in Rio - just not in the Olympic Village.

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