The village where Winter Olympics athletes are staying in Milan has reportedly run out of condoms after slashing its supply from 300,000 to a mere 10,000.
Providing free contraceptives in the Olympic villages has long been a tradition at the Games, with organisers aiming to promote safe sex and positive sexual health among competitors.
‘Health first: prevention and common sense’ was the message delivered to athletes at the village in Milan when condoms were handed out, with Attilio Fontana, governor of Lombardy, opting to place a symbol of the region on the packets.
Despite backing the initiative, Cortina organisers have only distributed 10,000 condoms for the entire Winter Games, causing supply to run dry almost immediately.
An anonymous athlete told Italian newspaper La Stampa on Thursday: ‘The supplies sold out in just three days. They promised us more will arrive but who knows when.’
By comparison, athletes at the Paris Olympics in 2024 received 300,000 condoms, enough for two per athlete per day.
The village where Winter Olympics athletes are staying has reportedly run out of condoms
Cortina organisers have only distributed 10,000 condoms for the entire Winter Games
The village in Milan, named Cortina d’Ampezzo, is a temporary residential complex which houses athletes from all over the world.
With a capacity of 1,400 beds, it accommodates athletes in a series of modular residential units connected by pathways that lead to communal areas.
Finding private time is something of a challenge for athletes in the village, although there is a relaxation room which is reportedly proving popular. The shoes-off room is dimly lit and plays relaxing music for private meditation.
Team Canada have reportedly now left the Olympic Village, opting to stay in a five-star hotel instead.
