Milan: Condoms were in short supply at the Winter Olympics. The Athletes' Village for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy is experiencing a condom shortage this weekend, which coincides with Valentine's Day.

According to Thai News Agency, several international media outlets have reported that the 10,000 condoms that the organizers of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics had prepared to distribute to athletes for free ran out within just three days of the start of the competition on February 6th, causing a shortage just before Valentine's Day.

Data shows that 300,000 condoms were distributed at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, but this time the organizers only prepared 10,000 for nearly 3,000 athletes, or an average of about 3 condoms per athlete throughout the tournament. This was insufficient to meet the actual demand. However, the rapid depletion of condoms from the Olympic Village may not have been due to actual use, but rather that these special edition condoms with the Olympic logo were taken as gifts for friends outside the village, causing them to run out faster than expected.

A spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee jokingly remarked that the rapid depletion of condoms demonstrated the vibrant Valentine's Day atmosphere in the Athletes' Village. Meanwhile, the Italian organizing committee confirmed that a new batch of condoms had been sent to all Athletes' Villages and would continue to be supplied until the end of the Games on February 22nd, ensuring the athletes' safety and hygiene standards were met.

The distribution of condoms at the Olympics has been a tradition since 1988 in Seoul, South Korea, to promote safe sex and prevent sexually transmitted diseases among athletes who spend long periods together.