There’s almost always some sex-related headline that comes out of the Olympics, in part fueled by organizers’ longstanding tradition of doling out free condoms to athletes. 2026 Milan Cortina is no different.
Olympics organizers have been handing out free condoms to athletes in the Olympic Village since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. The goal is to promote safe sex and raise awareness around HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. These Winter Olympics athletes are getting the message, or so it appears so far.
Italian daily newspaper LaStampa reports it took three days to empty the entire stock of 10,000 condoms in the Olympic Village. Officials say additional shipments are incoming, but it’s unclear when they might arrive.
The “meager” 10,000-condom start has sparked some controversy, given the number usually hits the tens of thousands. About 300,000 condoms were distributed at the 2024 Paris Olympics just two years ago.
More than three times the number of athletes, roughly, compete in the Summer Olympics vs. the Winter Olympics. The Olympic Village probably thought it had enough to last a bit. It was wrong.
Either way, it’s not a shocker.
Lombardy’s regional governor, Attilio Fontana, pushed back against any suggestion that the topic should be awkward.
“Yes, we provide free condoms to athletes in the Olympic village,” he wrote on social media.
“If this seems strange to some, they’re unaware of the established Olympic practice,” he continued. “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.”
Reddit had a field day with the report. Apparently, a bunch of people take condoms as souvenirs?
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