Around 10,000 free condoms ran out within three days at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics due to higher-than-expected demand.
Free condom distribution has been an Olympic tradition since 1988 to promote safe sex and athlete well-being.
Organisers and officials confirmed continuous restocking until the Games conclude on 22 February 2026.
The Winter Olympics that started on 6 February 2026 have made headlines not because of the Olympians or medals but because of a shortage of condoms. Yes, you heard that right — the free condom stock at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics for athletes ran out in just three days of the beginning of the Games. The organisers described the situation as a result of “higher-than-anticipated demand” for condoms as they confirmed plans to restock them.
As per a spokesperson of the local organising committee, the supply “temporarily depleted” across the Olympic Village, with over 2,800 athletes using 10,000 condoms within three days. He further elaborated on their plan to continuously replenish the stock throughout the Games till the closing ceremony on 22 February 2026.
The stock shortage was first reported by the Italian newspaper La Stampa. The Games saw participation from 2,871 athletes who came to compete across venues in Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Bormio and Livigno. The issue was highlighted during Valentine’s week as International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesperson Mark Adams addressed the situation with characteristic understatement. Adams said, “Shows that Valentine’s Day is in full swing in the village.” He further added, “I think 10,000 have been used. So 2,800 athletes, you can go figure.”
In the whole fiasco, the shortage is notable, but the practice of providing free condoms has always been there. The initiative was introduced by organisers at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics as a way to promote safe sex and raise awareness about sexually transmitted infections. Since then, distributing free condoms has become a standard tradition at the Olympics.
Earlier, over 300,000 condoms were distributed at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, which were attended by almost 10,500 athletes, as confirmed by the director of the athletes’ village in Paris, Laurent Michaud, in an interview.
The incident gained more attention when the governor of Italy’s Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, addressed the matter openly on social media. He wrote, “Yes, we provide free condoms to athletes in the Olympic village.” He further added that this is not a strange or new occurrence, as he wrote, “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.”
The governor also shared a video on Instagram posted by Spanish figure skater Olivia Smart, who displayed condoms stamped with the Lombardy Region logo, which later went viral. The athlete was seen saying in the clip, “I found them, they have everything you need.”
The Olympic Village in Cortina d’Ampezzo serves as a temporary residential hub that can house up to 1,400 residents and lies in Fiames in the heart of the Dolomites. The modular housing units are designed in a way that blends the alpine scenery perfectly with high-performance functionality, connecting shared walkways that lead to communal spaces.
The villages are equipped with various facilities, including gyms, table football, air hockey, pianos and complimentary beverage stations stocked with Coca-Cola and Innocent smoothies. This serves as a reminder that elite-performing athletes are not compromised when it comes to everyday comforts behind the scenes.
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