The Milano Cortina Winter Games are facing a logistical challenge as supplies of complimentary condoms at the Olympic Village have been exhausted within the first three days, according to reports. The shortage, first highlighted by Italian newspaper La Stampa, contrasts sharply with the 300,000 condoms provided at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, despite a significantly smaller athlete population in Italy.
An anonymous athlete quoted by La Stampa expressed uncertainty about when additional supplies would arrive. Prior to the depletion of the initial stock, Spanish athlete Olivia Smart showcased the Lombardy-branded prophylactics on Instagram, a post subsequently shared by the President of Lombardy, Attilio Fontana.
Away from the logistical concerns, the Games have witnessed a historic moment in the sporting arena. Brazilian skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen secured the first-ever Winter Olympic medal for a South American nation, claiming gold in the men’s giant slalom. His victory, achieved with a margin of almost a minute over the defending champion Marco Odermatt, marks a significant milestone for the continent’s winter sports presence.
Pinheiro Braathen’s journey to Olympic gold is particularly noteworthy, as he previously represented Norway, the country of his birth, before retiring in 2023. He returned to competition five months later, competing for Brazil through his mother’s eligibility. “I’ve tried over and over again to put words to what I’m feeling, but it’s simply impossible,” Pinheiro Braathen said after his win. “If there is anything that I hope I can be as a source of inspiration today, it’s that you dare to be who you are.”
Controversy has also emerged in the curling competition, with Sweden’s men’s team accusing Canada of cheating during their round-robin game. The allegation centers on claims that Canadian players were illegally double-touching the stone during delivery. World Curling has responded by deploying officials to monitor deliveries more closely, despite the limitations of the electronic handles currently in use, which only detect contact beyond the hog line.
The dispute escalated towards the end of the match, with a heated exchange between the teams’ thirds, Marc Kennedy and Oskar Eriksson. Eriksson reportedly told Kennedy he possessed video evidence of repeated violations, prompting a response containing an expletive from the Canadian player. World Curling acknowledged the limitations of its current monitoring system, stating This proves “not possible…to have game umpires positioned to observe all hog lines for every stone delivery.”
In other events, Swedish skier Ebba Andersson demonstrated remarkable resilience in the women’s 4×7.5-kilometre team relay. After breaking a ski during her leg, she continued racing for 30 seconds with only one ski before receiving a replacement, ultimately helping Sweden secure a silver medal.
Australia’s Olympic campaign has been marred by a series of injuries. Aerial skier Laura Peel officially withdrew from the Games on February 14th, joining Cam Bolton, Misaki Vaughan, and Daisy Thomas as athletes whose participation was cut short by injury. Peel, a two-time world champion, sustained a torn ACL at a training camp in Switzerland.
Italy’s hopes for gold in curling’s mixed doubles event were dashed on February 14th, as Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner lost 9-8 to the United States in the semi-final. The Italian pair will now compete for the bronze medal against Great Britain.