Condoms in the colors of the Olympic rings. Photo: David Barrett / Avalon / Profimedia
Athletes at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics marked the week of Valentine's Day with their Olympic determination, emptying the condom dispensers just before this well-known holiday, write Reuters and Agerpres.
About 10,000 prophylactics were distributed in Milan and in the accommodation areas in the mountains by the organizers, continuing an old Olympic practice that aims to protect relationships especially among young, healthy and energetic competitors who are staying in close quarters.
By Saturday, the stock had been emptied, however, with just a week to go until the end of the Games, and Milan joins a long list of cities that have hosted the Olympics and where demand has comfortably outstripped supply.
“This certainly shows that Valentine's Day is in full swing in the Olympic Village,” International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams told a news conference on Saturday.
“Ten thousand have been used so far, about 2,800 athletes, so you can do the math, as they say,” added the IOC official.
“There's rule 62 in the Olympic Charter, which says we have to have male contraception. Faster, higher, stronger, together,” joked Adams.
A sign that the social side of the OJ is also flourishing
While athletes are given condoms at every Olympic Games, the speed with which they ended in Milan left almost every athlete stunned.
“I've seen it since morning. I was almost shocked like everybody else,” said Mexican figure skater Donovan Carrillo.
Mialitiana Clerc, an alpine ski competitor for Madagascar, said there was nothing left available at her accommodation.
“There were many boxes at the entrance of every building where we stay and every day everything was emptied out of the box,” said Clerc.
“I know a lot of people use these condoms or give them to friends outside of the Olympics because it's kind of a free gift for them,” Clerc said.
While medals remain the official currency of success, the empty condom dispensers point to a silent sign that the social side of the Olympics is also flourishing.
