The Olympics are bringing back a long-standing tradition: providing thousands of condoms to athletes during the event.
Laurent Michaud, the director of the Olympic Village for the 2024 Paris Games, revealed in an interview with Sky News that 300,000 condoms will be available for the 14,250 athletes staying in the village.
“It is very important that the conviviality here is something big,” Michaud emphasized.
This move marks a change from the 2020 Olympics, where an intimacy ban was enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although condoms were distributed during the Tokyo Games, athletes were asked to limit physical contact, including sexual activities, to prevent the spread of the disease.
Handing out condoms has been a tradition since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, aimed at promoting awareness of HIV and AIDS. Even during the 2020 games, 150,000 condoms were distributed.
Michaud explained, “Working with the Athletes Commission, we wanted to create some places where the athletes would feel very enthusiastic and comfortable.”
While intimacy is allowed at the Olympics, one luxury will be missing for the athletes: champagne. “No champagne in the village, of course, but they can have all the champagne they want also in Paris,” Michaud joked.
Paris is set to spend around €2 billion (or roughly $2.1 billion) on the Olympic construction project, making it the most expensive yet. The athletes’ quarters feature a simple design with two twin beds, shelves, and a small balcony overlooking the city.
The 2024 Paris Games, running from July 26 to Aug. 11, are hoped to be a return to normalcy after the challenges faced during the Tokyo Olympics. The organizers aim for unity, peace, and a celebration of the best athletes, showcasing the Olympic spirit of overcoming challenges and finding solutions.
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