MILAN–CORTINA, Italy:
Officials at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games are facing an unexpected logistical embarrassment after the initial supply of free condoms provided for athletes in the Olympic Village was exhausted just three days after the start of the competition.
Organisers originally stocked approximately 10,000 condoms in the Milan–Cortina Olympic Village for the roughly 2,900 competing athletes. By the third day of the Games, that supply had reportedly been completely used up, even though more than a week of competition still remains.
An anonymous participant told the Italian newspaper La Stampa that organisers were caught off guard by the rapid depletion. “The supplies ran out in just three days,” the athlete said, adding that officials have promised a fresh delivery but have not specified when it will arrive.
Providing condoms at Olympic Villages is a decades-old public health practice. The tradition began at the 1988 Seoul Games with the aim of promoting safe sex and raising awareness about sexually transmitted disease prevention among athletes and young people.
Despite the health rationale, critics have pointed to the relatively modest allocation for the Winter Games. By comparison, the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics distributed around 300,000 condoms to athletes, or roughly two per athlete per day. That figure far exceeded this year’s Winter Games’ initial stock.
Attilio Fontana, governor of Italy’s Lombardy region, defended the practice on social media ahead of the Games, calling the free distribution “an established Olympic practice” and underscoring its intent as a health measure rather than a scandal.
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At a daily media briefing, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesperson acknowledged the situation with a light-hearted tone, noting that the demand highlights how the tradition continues to be relevant at major Games.
The Olympic Village, a temporary residential complex hosting athletes from around the world , offers a range of other amenities to support competitors’ wellbeing, such as a gym, recreational games, and complimentary beverages. Organisers say they are working to replenish the condom supply to ensure safe practices are maintained for the remainder of the event.
