The 2024 Paris Olympics organizers have supplied close to 300,000 condoms at the Olympic Village since athletes began arriving in France ahead of the summer games, which have started but will officially be flagged off on Friday, July 26, 2024.
The welcome packages that the athletes received upon arrival included water bottles, toiletries, bags, a phone, and plenty of condoms.
However, this is not the first time Olympic organizers have distributed condoms at the event. This practice has been happening since the 1980s when HIV/AIDS was identified as an epidemic. The 1988 Olympics held in Seoul, Korea, was the first time athletes were provided with protection.
During the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil, the organizers distributed 450,000 condoms at the athletes’ village. Similarly, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, 150,000 condoms were distributed despite an intimacy ban due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
At that time, the introduction of cardboard beds was seen by many as a way to discourage intimacy among athletes and officials at the event.
Michaud Laurent, the Director of the Olympic Village, confirmed that they were working with French health authorities to ensure “safe” Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Olympic Village is set to host over 14,000 athletes and officials it is spread across 134 acres of land based in Saint-Denis, and is nearly six miles from the Paris city centre, According to reports, the interiors of the Olympic Village are simply state-of-the-art with maximum amenities required by athletes readily available.
