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Tokyo Olympics: How many condoms are used at the Games Village?

Condoms have been distributed since 1988 to raise awareness about HIV, and a number of them will be distributed this year as well; but there's a catch

BY YASMIN TINWALA

UPDATED JUL 23, 2021

The Olympics started off in Tokyo on July 23 (Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images)

The Tokyo Olympics officially began on July 23, and the opening ceremony as always was fabulous. Despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that has been playing a dampener on our day-to-day life, the spirit of the games will certainly lift yours up. Ours have already been lifted and we are cheering hard for the athletes who are about to bring honor and pride to their respective nations. Despite the conditions, athletes from over 206 countries are vying to create history.

Thousands, to be precise 11,091 athletes, are in Tokyo and will be compete in 41 different sports and 339 events at the Olympics. Things are definitely going to be a lot different than in the previous editions of the Games. Athletes have been asked to eat alone and maintain social distancing at all times. So what happens when hotshot athletes looking and feeling their best are in close proximity? In 2012, ESPN blew the lid on all the sex that was going on in the Olympic village. For instance, in the 2000 Sydney Games, there were 70,000 condoms distributed amongst athletes but those run out faster than anyone could imagine. The second round of distribution followed and 20,000 more were given out, and since then 100,000 condoms became the norm for future games.

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A security worker stands next to the Olympic Rings during a protest against the Tokyo Olympics on May 09, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. With less than 3 months remaining until the Tokyo 2020 Olympics concern continues to linger in Japan over the feasibility of hosting such a huge event during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images)

How many condoms distributed at Tokyo Olympics Games village?

Distributing condoms at the Olympics village is a practice that has been followed since 1988. Organizers gave them out to raise HIV awareness amongst athletes. Tokyo Olympics will not defy the practice and distribution of condoms is not off the table but there's a catch. Organizers have revealed that a total of 150,000 units of condoms will be giving out but this will be "to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS", said village general manager Takashi Kitajima.

However, athletes won't have access to them until they're leaving the Tokyo Games, it was revealed in June. "The distribution of condoms is not to use in the village," Kitajima said at a press conference, meaning the condoms are a form of a parting gift for the athletes. Kitajima said the athletes will take the condoms to their home countries to further raise awareness about AIDS and HIV. In 1988, when the practice of condom distribution first started, 8,500 condoms were distributed to all the participating athletes at the Seoul Games. The numbers skyrocketed to 450,000 at the Rio Olympics in 2016.