The Winter Olympics is in full swing in Italy, bringing with it a focus on sports, medals, and surprisingly, safe sex practices.
Just a few days into the games, there’s been an unusual amount of attention on athletes’ personal lives, rather than the events themselves.
For instance, Team USA’s Breezy Johnson recently got engaged at the base of the super-G ski run in Cortina D’Ampezzo, and Norwegian competitor Sturla Holm Lægreid openly admitted on air to cheating on his partner before the Olympics. However, that’s not where the drama ends.
Reports indicate that only three days after athletes arrived at the Olympic Village, the supply of free condoms was exhausted, prompting officials to hurriedly procure more for the athletes who are reportedly in need.
This situation was highlighted by Italian newspaper La Stampa, which quoted an anonymous athlete saying: “The supplies ran out in just three days. They promised us more will arrive, but who knows when.”
Attilio Fontana, the governor of the Lombardy region, has confirmed that officials distribute free condoms to athletes at the Olympic village.
In an online statement, he shared: “If this seems strange to some, they’re unaware of the established Olympic practice. It began in Seoul 1988 to raise awareness among athletes and young people about sexually transmitted disease prevention— a topic that shouldn’t cause embarrassment.”
While the immediate assumption might be that athletes are simply jumping into bed post-competition, it appears the issue might have stemmed from an initial shortage in condom supply.
According to La Stampa, officials were not ‘particularly generous with the numbers’ of condoms given out, especially when compared to the 2024 Paris Olympics, where 300,000 condoms were distributed, equating to two per athlete per day. In contrast, the Winter Olympics had fewer than 10,000 condoms available.
The Winter Olympics hosts a smaller number of athletes—just under 3,000 compared to Paris’s 10,500—but apparently, that doesn’t mean there’s any less activity off the field.
Approximately 1,500 male athletes are competing, which averages out to about six condoms each, used up within just three days. This calculation doesn’t even consider those athletes who may abstain from sex due to being in committed relationships or other reasons.
Fortunately, the Olympic village offers plenty of activities to keep athletes occupied when they’re not competing or socializing. These include preparing for their events, enjoying games, playing musical instruments, and taking advantage of the catering services available.