The Winter Olympics condom supply ran out in 3 days. Athletes have thoughts

Free protection for Olympic athletes is nothing new, but when the supply runs out before the first week of the Games is in the books, it is bound to make headlines.

According to Italian outlet La Stampa, the complimentary condoms distributed inside the Olympic Village in Cortina were gone in a matter of days — three to be exact.

“The supplies ran out in just three days,” an anonymous athlete told the newspaper. “They promised us more will arrive, but who knows when.”

The situation becomes even more striking when stacked against the numbers from Paris 2024. In the French capital — often dubbed the “City of Love” — organizers handed out approximately 300,000 condoms. That figure was confirmed in an interview with Sky News by Laurent Michaud, director of the athletes’ village during the Summer Games.

By contrast, the allocation for these Winter Olympics was dramatically smaller. As reported by La Stampa, fewer than 10,000 were made available. There are 2,871 athletes in Italy for the Winter Games, while there were a little more than 10,500 athletes in France for the 2024 Summer Games.  Many of the athletes are staying in Milan, four hours away from Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The debate over availability intensified last week when Attilio Fontana, governor of Italy’s Lombardy region, publicly addressed the topic.

“Yes, we provide free condoms to athletes in the Olympic village,” he said in a Facebook post. Fontana’s remarks underscored what has long been standard protocol at the Games. “If this seems strange to some, they’re unaware of the established Olympic practice. 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.”

This time, however, it isn’t the tradition making news — it’s the shortage.

Spanish figure skater Olivia Smart added another layer to the conversation after sharing a now-viral Instagram clip from inside the Village, also shared by Fontana. In the video, she displays condoms marked with the Lombardy Region logo.

“I found them,” she says in the clip. “They have everything you need.”

The Cortina d’Ampezzo Olympic Village operates as a temporary residential hub designed to host athletes from across the globe. Built to accommodate up to 1,400 residents, the complex is made up of modular housing units linked by walkways that funnel into shared community spaces. Set in Fiames, in the heart of the Dolomites, the athletes’ village blends alpine scenery with high-performance functionality.

“From a healthcare perspective, the Lombardy Region is fully committed to ensuring that international athletes and teams receive the best possible care during these weeks,” Fontana said, adding that “health comes first. Concrete prevention and common sense.”

Per the official Olympics website, the athletes’ village’s strategic location eliminates the grind of lengthy commutes. With competition sites such as the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, Cortina Sliding Centre, Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre and Cortina Para Snowboard Park situated nearby, competitors can move quickly between the residence and venues.

Life inside the Olympic Village, however, operates under its own set of rules. Privacy is limited, and athletes have had to get inventive. In Milan, for example, where visits to the rooms of athletes from other countries would be prohibited, the relaxation room is extremely popular, according to La Stampa. The relaxation room features low lighting, fusion music in the background, shoes left at the door — a controlled environment meant for meditation.

“You have to use your imagination,” the anonymous athlete told La Stampa on finding other ways to relax, noting that many are spending their downtime playing PlayStation while anticipating the arrival of new supplies.