this is SERIOUS. Olympics Related

[Deleted]

Rogue Condoms Appear In Olympic Village; Organizers Take Action


10:53 am

August 8, 2012

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by Bill Chappell



EnlargeScott Heavey/Getty Images
London Mayor Boris Johnson picks up a packet of Olympic branded condoms during a visit to the Olympic Village last month. Durex, the official Olympic supplier, has sent 150,000 condoms to the village. A bucket of rogue condoms has created a small controversy.






It should come as no surprise that Olympics organizers take brand endorsements and official suppliers very seriously. That extends beyond logos on shorts and shoes — up to, and including, condoms. That's right, the Olympics has an "official" condom — and organizers want to get to the bottom of how a bucket of rogue condoms reached the Olympic Village.

As has happened before at the London Games, it started with a tweet.

Olympian Caroline Buchanan, a BMX rider from Australia, posted a photo of a bucketful of "Kangaroo condoms" (tagline: "for the gland downunder"), in what might have been seen an innocent homage to her homeland.

Turns out, Olympics organizers aren't big on that kind of thing. In fact, there are "brand police" looking for attempts at ambush marketing at the London Games.

"We will look into this and ask that they are not handed out to other athletes because Durex are our supplier," a spokeswoman said, according to The Guardian.

Representatives from Pasante and Ansell, two companies whose condoms are in the unofficial bucket, said it was likely just a prank carried out by the athletes.

But Lawrence Boon of Pasante did manage to find a gilded lining to the controversy: "We have no association with the Olympics," he told Reuters, "but we did launch a gold condom this year for champions."

Condoms have been provided free of charge at the Olympic Village since the 1992 Barcelona Games. And they've been distributed in progressively copious amounts. Some 100,000 were provided for Beijing's 2008 Games, printed with the Olympic motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger."

Durex paid to be the official supplier at the London Games, and they sent 150,000 free condoms to the Olympic Village as part of the deal.

As the Daily Beast wrote, "Averaged among 10,490 athletes, that's enough condoms for every athlete to have sex 15 times over the Olympics' three weeks."

If that supply has already been depleted — five days before the end of the games — it might confirm the stories that have depicted the Olympic Village as a hotbed of hookups among athletes. The logic goes like this: The Olympians are mostly young, fit people, with a lot of energy and, if you will, a questing nature. And they all have something in common: They're Olympic athletes.

Sam Alipour wrote about the issue for ESPN, in an article called "Will you still medal in the morning?"

Talking to Alipour, U.S. target shooter Josh Lakatos recalled his experience at the 2000 Sydney Olympics thusly: "I've never witnessed so much debauchery in my entire life."

The kangaroo condoms in London's Olympic Village are the latest intrigue involving Australia's trademark animal. Last week, a "boxing kangaroo" that had been placed next to a container of Durex condoms went missing from the village's medical headquarters.

A note was taped to the wall to request its return, signed "a very disappointed medical staff."

[marie427]

Aug 8, 2012 12:35:58 GMT -5 @septimus said:

But Lawrence Boon of Pasante did manage to find a gilded lining to the controversy: "We have no association with the Olympics," he told Reuters, "but we did launch a gold condom this year for champions."

:-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-(

This entire article is gold!

[Deleted]

btw I sang my title sentence as if I was a Wonder Pet.

[vanillacourage]

Some 100,000 were provided for Beijing's 2008 Games, printed with the Olympic motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger."

This is hilarious.

[Deleted]

btw-NPR posted this story on FB and the comments are pure gold

[marie427]

Aug 8, 2012 12:40:40 GMT -5 @septimus said:

btw-NPR posted this story on FB and the comments are pure gold

OMG they are!!!

[eliseb0323]

A former colleague of mine got pregnant at the Barcelona Olympics. I guess she didn't use the free condoms. I wonder how many women got pregnant in the past for organizers to decide to supply condoms.

And I wonder if Mitt Romney had an official condom for the Salt Lake City Olympics.

[heyjude]

Aug 8, 2012 12:47:48 GMT -5 eliseb0323 said:

And I wonder if Mitt Romney had an official condom for the Salt Lake City Olympics.

The Mormon underwear.

[ttt]

Aug 8, 2012 12:35:58 GMT -5 @septimus said:

As the Daily Beast wrote, "Averaged among 10,490 athletes, that's enough condoms for every athlete to have sex 15 times over the Olympics' three weeks."

Minus 15 for Lolo Jones.

[Deleted]

This article is awesome.

[UMaineTeach]

Thank goodness that 5ringdiet girl can still have safe sex!

pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=mm&thread=41696&page=1#652986

[decemberwedding07]

Interesting point from one of the comments on NPR's FB page:
"Serious question, though: if an athlete uses an Official Condom, and it fails, does the organizers' proscription of alternatives expose the Olympics to legal action? It's not like an official energy drink or an official t-shirt supplier; there are major potential consequences here."