Organizers of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics are rushing to replenish free condom stocks at the Athletes’ Village after an initial 10,000 units vanished in just three days, an anonymous competitor revealed to Italian outlet La Stampa.
Winter Olympic
“The supplies ran out in just three days,” the athlete said. “They promised us more will arrive, but who knows when.” Organizers confirmed additional shipments but offered no firm timeline, noting the distribution aligns with Olympic public health protocols.
The shortage underscores a decades-old tradition dating to the 1988 Seoul Games, aimed at curbing sexually transmitted infections among athletes in close quarters. Lombardy Region, hosting key venues, provided the branded packs under the slogan “Health first: prevention and common sense.”
Critics pointed to skimpy planning: Paris 2024 supplied 300,000 condoms for summer athletes—about two per day each—while Milano-Cortina allocated under 10,000 for roughly 2,900 competitors from 92 nations.
“You have to use your imagination,” the athlete quipped to La Stampa, blaming organizers for not scaling up from prior editions.
Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana dismissed stigma last week via social media: “Yes, we provide free condoms to athletes in the Olympic Village. If this seems strange to some, they’re unaware of the established Olympic practice… a topic that shouldn’t cause embarrassment.”
Fontana amplified Spanish figure skater Olivia Smart’s viral Instagram video, where she displayed yellow-logoed packs: “I found them. They have everything you need.”
The Village in Milan’s Porta Romana district serves 2,884 athletes competing in 116 events across 16 disciplines, marking the highest female participation at 47% in Winter Games history.
U.S. leads with 233 athletes, followed by Canada (205) and hosts Italy (196), per International Olympic Committee data.
Organizers vowed sustained supplies through February 22 closing, prioritizing athlete welfare amid the intimate Village environment.
