The Olympic Village director, Laurent Michaud, announced on Saturday that the intimacy ban for the 2024 Paris Games will be lifted, with 300,000 condoms provided for the 14,250 athletes staying in the quarters.
In an interview with the media, Michaud emphasized the importance of creating a welcoming and convivial atmosphere in the Olympic Village. The ban on intimacy had been implemented during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with athletes being asked to limit physical contact, including sexual activity, and maintain a distance of six and a half feet from others to prevent the spread of the virus.
“We worked closely with the athletes’ commission to establish areas where athletes can feel enthusiastic and at ease,” Michaud explained to Sky News.
While intimacy is now permitted at the Olympics, champagne will not be available for athletes in the village. However, Michaud mentioned that they can enjoy champagne elsewhere in Paris. The Olympic Village will feature over 350 meters of buffet offering a variety of world cuisines, including French specialties prepared on-site.
According to Sky News, this Olympic construction project is the most expensive to date, with Paris expected to spend approximately $2.1 billion by the time the torch-lighting ceremony takes place in July.
