Topics: Olympics, Sport, World News, News, Sex and Relationships
After the Olympic village last week ran out of its supply of free condoms, questions have been raised as to why the international tournament has come to be regarded as one big sex-fest in recent years.
For those who missed it, a sporting insider last week exposed a staggering shortage of pregnancy preventatives in accommodation currently being inhabited by athletes.
Speaking to Italian newspaper La Stampa on Thursday (12 Feb), they claimed the supply that had been made available to competitors following the Opening Ceremony the week prior had been slashed from 10,000 to nil.
This year's collection bore messages of sexual health and consent - statements like, 'On the field of love, play fair. Ask for consent', 'Don’t share more than victory, protect yourself against STDs', and 'No need to be a gold medalist to wear it!', as per The Sun.
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The initial quantity handed out by organisers this year was already considerably lower than that given to competitors at the 2024 Games in Paris. An eyebrow-raising 300,000 condoms were provided back then, equating to around two per athlete per day.
"The supplies sold out in just three days," the anonymous insider claimed. "They promised us more will arrive but who knows when."
International Olympic Committee spokesperson Mark Adams also addressed the condom crisis, joking in a press conference: "Clearly, this shows Valentine's Day is in full swing at the village. Ten thousand have been used - 2,800 athletes - you can go figure, as they say.
"It is rule 62 of the Olympic Charter that we have to have a condoms story.
"Faster, higher, stronger, together."
As we say, the raunchy revelation has raised questions amongst onlookers watching from home as to why the Olympic Games have become so synonymous with sexual activity in recent years.
Attempting to provide an answer, several former competitors have spoken out, including ex-long jumper Susen Tiedtke, who previously represented Germany in two different events.
She told BILD: "The athletes are at their physical peak at the Olympics. When the competition is over, they want to release their energy.
"When the competition is over, they want to live out their energy, there is one party after the other, then alcohol comes into play. It happens that you have sex and there are enough people who also strive for that."
In agreement was former United States water polo captain and five-time Olympian Tony Azevedo, who also alluded to many athletes enduring regular dating disasters in real life due to their intense schedule.
"Think about how hard it is to meet someone," Azevedo told ESPN back in 2012. "Now take an Olympian who trains from 6.00am. until 5.00pm every day.
"When the hell are you supposed to meet someone? Now the pressure is done, you're meeting like-minded people ... and boom."
A relationship expert also chimed in on this suggestion, agreeing that the Olympic Games could provide a great place for single athletes to meet.
"Many athletes, especially celebrity athletes, are always meeting new people, whether it be through their sport or at social events," Lucas explained.
"And because of their celebrity status many people gravitate towards them, and they have plenty of opportunities for sexual encounters."
He also noted the physical benefit of intercourse, describing it as a 'great way to relieve tension in the body'.
"If an athlete is on a sex ban it can make them feel very tense," Lucas continued. "Now, this isn’t always a negative thing because sometimes to compete at a very high level a bit of tension and aggression can be a good thing.
"If you go into some sports TOO relaxed then it can be a very bad thing."
