‘They promised us more’: Condom shortage hits Winter Olympics as supplies vanish in just 3 days

Free condoms for competitors at the Winter Olympics have run out within a record-breaking three days.

According to La Stampa, the entire stock of fewer than 10,000 condoms was gone within three days. One competitor, speaking anonymously, summed up the situation bluntly: “The supplies ran out in just three days. They promised us more will arrive, but who knows when.”

The shortfall has raised eyebrows, especially when compared with the Paris Summer Games two years ago, where 300,000 condoms were distributed –“two per day each.” With just under 3,000 competitors in the Winter Games, the smaller athlete pool hasn’t prevented a rapid shortage.

Lombardy’s regional governor, Attilio Fontana, pushed back against any suggestion that the topic should be awkward. “Yes, we provide free condoms to athletes in the Olympic village,” he wrote on social media. “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.”

Officials note that further shipments are en route, though it remains unclear when they will reach the village.