Laurent Michaud, the Director of the Athletes' Village for the 2024 Paris Olympics, recently announced a figure that always garners significant attention each Olympics: the 2024 Paris Olympics is expected to distribute 300,000 condoms for free use in the Athletes' Village. "The most important thing here is harmonious coexistence. We want to create a place where athletes feel comfortable, safe, and at ease," he said.
The 300,000 condoms are double the amount distributed at the previous Tokyo Olympics! A simple calculation shows that if 10,500 athletes are expected to participate, each athlete would use an average of 28 condoms over the 17-day sports event, necessitating nearly 300,000 condoms. In reality, the Olympic Village can accommodate 14,250 people, including athletes and staff, resulting in an average of 21 condoms per person.
Since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, distributing condoms in the Olympic Village has become a tradition. The hosts hoped to prevent the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Since then, the number of condoms distributed has gradually increased, reaching 150,000 at the 2012 London Olympics and peaking at 450,000 at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Due to the need for social distancing during the pandemic, enthusiasm was somewhat dampened at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and the 150,000 condoms were distributed as athletes returned to their home countries. Now, with the lifting of related restrictions, the number of condoms prepared for the Paris Olympics has doubled, though it still does not surpass the level of the Rio Olympics.