Condom shortage hits Winter Olympics after 10,000 supply finishes in 3 days

Winter Olympics organisers are restocking condoms after the initial 10,000 supply ran out within three days at the Milan Cortina Games.

Organisers of the Winter Olympics have reportedly moved quickly to restock condoms at the Athletes’ Village after the initial supply was exhausted within the first three days of competition.

According to Italian newspaper La Stampa, the stock allocated to competitors at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games was depleted just 72 hours after the event began.

History of Condoms at Olympics

The distribution of condoms at the Olympic Games dates back to the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when organisers introduced the initiative to promote safe sex and raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.

Since then, it has become a well-established tradition at both Summer and Winter editions.

At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, approximately 300,000 condoms were made available to athletes, while the record is held by the Rio 2016 Games where around 450,000 were distributed.

In contrast, reports indicate that only 10,000 condoms were initially provided at the Winter Games in Italy, a figure that proved insufficient for the nearly 3,000 athletes participating in the event.

An anonymous athlete told La Stampa that supplies ran out quickly, though organisers have reportedly assured competitors that more are on the way. However, no specific timeline has been publicly confirmed.

While the Winter Olympics host significantly fewer participants than the Summer Games, the rapid depletion has nevertheless drawn attention, highlighting once again the unique culture of life inside the Olympic Village.