Athletes at the Milano Cortina Games seem to have embraced Valentine’s week with their trademark Olympic intensity, racing through their free condom supply to leave dispensers empty before the big day itself.
Some 10,000 prophylactics were distributed across the city and mountain accommodation sites by organisers, continuing a longstanding Olympic practice aimed at promoting safe relationships among mostly young, healthy and energetic competitors living in close quarters.
By Saturday the stock had run out, however, with just over a week of the sporting bonanza still to go, adding Milan to a long list of Games where demand has comfortably outstripped supply, a now almost routine Olympic sub-plot.
“Clearly this shows Valentine’s Day is in full swing at the village,” International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams told a press conference on Saturday. “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,” Adams joked.
