Laurent Michaud, the director of the Olympic Village for the 2024 Paris Games, has announced a significant policy change. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the previous intimacy ban in place during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be lifted. To promote a more open and convivial atmosphere, the organizers will provide 300,000 condoms for the 14,250 athletes residing in the Olympic Village, signaling a return to traditional Olympic norms of social interaction among participants.
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During an interview with Sky News, Michaud stressed the significance of creating a friendly and cozy atmosphere for athletes at the Olympic Village. This approach follows the stringent social distancing measures implemented at the Tokyo Olympics, where athletes were advised to limit physical contact, including sexual activity, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Working with the athletes commission, we wanted to create some places where the athletes would feel enthusiastic and comfortable,” he explained. Athletes cannot indulge in other pleasures, such as drinking champagne on Olympic grounds: “No champagne in the village, of course, but they can have all the champagne they want also in Paris.”
“We will have more than 350 meters of buffet with world food… and I’m sure that the athletes will be very happy to have some French specialties made over here,” Michaud continued. According to reports, the Paris Olympics construction project is expected to cost around $2.1 billion by the opening ceremony in July, making it the most expensive in the Games’ history.
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The distribution of condoms at the Olympic Games has been a long-standing practice, initiated at the 1988 Seoul Olympics to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. This tradition continued even during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with 150,000 condoms distributed, as per CBS Sports. The significant increase in the number of condoms available for the Paris Games underscores the organizers’ commitment to health education and safety, alongside facilitating a more open and interactive environment for athletes after the previous pandemic-impacted Games.