Free condoms at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics ran out within three days, according to a news report. Athletes have said that the supplies were limited compared to previous Games like Paris 2024 and Rio 2016.
Free condoms distributed at the Olympic Village at Milano Cortina 2026 have run out in just three days, according to Italian newspaper La Stampa. The development has sparked conversation inside the village, with one anonymous athlete saying, “The supplies ran out in just three days. They promised us more will arrive, but who knows when.”
The distribution of free condoms at the Olympic Village is not new. The practice started at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul during the AIDS epidemic to promote awareness about sexually transmitted diseases. Since then, it has become a regular tradition at both Summer and Winter Games.
Why the drop in numbers?
However, the
2026 Winter Olympics saw a big drop in numbers. While around 300,000 condoms were reportedly distributed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, only about 10,000 were reportedly made available for the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games. In comparison, the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio saw a record 450,000 condoms distributed.
It must be noted that the Winter Olympics has far fewer athletes. Around 2,900 competitors are taking part this year, compared to more than 10,000 at the Paris Games. Many athletes are also staying in Milan instead of Cortina, which may have prompted the organisers to distribute fewer condoms.
However, some athletes still feel the organisers underestimated the demand. An anonymous competitor told La Stampa that organisers were not “particularly generous with the numbers.” Interestingly, the report came out on the ocassion of International Condom Day on February 13.
Meanwhile, Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana has praised the initiative of distributing condoms at the Games. He said there should be no embarrassment about providing condoms and reminded people that it is part of an established Olympic practice focused on health and prevention.
He even shared a viral video by Spanish figure skater Olivia Smart, who showed condoms stamped with the Lombardy Region logo and joked that the village has “everything you need.” Smart shared a video on her TikTok account captioned, “Yes, there are OLYMPIC condoms,” showing condoms placed in the athletes’ village.
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