- Title: Condom crisis hits Milano Games on Valentine's Day
- Date: 14th February 2026
- Summary: MILANO, ITALY (FEBRUARY 14, 2026) (REUTERS) VARNIER ARRIVING FOR PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CEO OF THE MILANO CORTINA 2026 FOUNDATION, ANDREA VARNIER, SAYING: “We’re very happy halfway and that’s why we wanted to, you know, show these numbers, because these numbers are very important, and despite the difficult, difficulties are always present when you organise
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: MiCo Milano Cortina Olympics Winter Olympics
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Europe,Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA008548614022026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Milano Cortina Olympics reached the halfway mark on Saturday (February 14), having avoided any major crisis so far, leaving organisers brimming with happiness despite enduring rollercoaster preparations for years to get the Games ready on time.
However, one inconvenience occurred on Valentine's day, in fact according to Italian newspapers free condoms are out of stock in the Olympic villages.
Games CEO Andrea Varnier told Reuters after a press conference on Saturday that they are aware of the issue and are "working to provide as many condoms as possible in the (Olympic) villages".
While past Olympics traditionally struggled with teething problems, the Games in Italy have so far gone off without a hitch, with ticket sales currently at 85%, or 1.27 million sold.
"The real challenge for us was not the operational aspect of transportation, but rather be sure that the Olympic atmosphere could be experienced and felt in every location", said Varnier during a halfway press conference on Saturday.
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