Athletes taking part in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will not be receiving condoms as part of their packages, according to the organisers.
As part of their Summer Games goodie bag, it’s been tradition for Olympians and officials to receive free condoms upon arrival since 1988, aiming to prevent the transfer of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
The often free-spirited athletes’ village has a long-standing reputation for being liberal, with many using their time at the Games to improve ‘international relations’.
But Kyodo News reported the current Covid-19 situation means attendees won’t receive their customary condoms until the end of the Summer Games.
The athletes’ village—locate in Tokyo’s Harumi waterfront district—is expected to host around 18,000 athletes and officials during the 2020 Olympics, which get underway on Friday (July 23).
Anyone staying in the village must provide a list of potential contacts they could see for contact tracing, with disqualification the most extreme punishment for being caught flouting this rule.
Japan declared a new state of emergency following a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases earlier in July, which is due to last until August 22, two weeks after the Olympics are due to be completed (Aug. cool.
It was originally reported in June that athletes would receive condoms as normal for this year’s Games, but they were urged to continue socially distancing all the while.
Having seemingly seen a flaw in that logic, organisers will instead save the latex freebies until after the Games are over, presumably as a memento of their time in Tokyo.
It’s not specified whether athletes will be prevented from bringing their own contraception into the athletes’ village, although fraternising with others remains strictly forbidden.
The report mentioned Olympians will be permitted to bring alcohol onto the site, although it must be consumed in their rooms with their specified room-mates.
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