This former eye-catching German athlete has offered an explanation for the rapid consumption of condoms at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympic Games seemingly generated as much drama off the slopes as on them, with competitors facing an unexpected condom shortage. And a former German long jumper, once hailed as one of the most attractive athletes on the planet, has offered her theory as to why.
Milano Cortina 2026 will be remembered for breathtaking triumphs and heartbreaking defeats. Host nation Italy claimed an impressive haul of 30 medals in total, whilst Brazil picked up winter gold for the very first time in the men’s giant slalom, thanks to Lucas Pinheiro Braathen.
American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn’s much-anticipated comeback at the age of 41 ended in heartbreak, whilst her country saw figure skater Alysa Liu win over the public and both the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams secured gold.
Yet one rather eyebrow-raising story to emerge from the Olympic Village was the rapid disappearance of condoms. Reports suggest the initial supply of 10,000 was depleted in just three days, and former German athlete Susen Tiedtke has a theory as to why.
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Suggestions for the swift disappearance of the contraceptives ranged from athletes pocketing them as novelty souvenirs or flogging them on, to there simply being an insufficient supply. Reports claim that the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics provided roughly 200,000 condoms for their competitors.
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But Tiedtke, 57, who competed in the long jump for Germany and was voted ‘Miss Olympics’ in her heyday, said: “Imagine being on edge for four years preparing for those two weeks at the Olympic Games.
“It’s normal that, after the performance, whatever it may be, you feel enormous relief and the desire to share that feeling with someone. Now, imagine yourself in the Olympic Village with thousands of attractive young people. The response is obvious.”
Tiedtke, who placed fifth in the long jump at the Sydney 2000 Games, also told BILD in 2021: “The athletes are at their physical peak at the Olympics. When the competition is over, they want to release their energy. After the competition, however, roommates were considerate if you needed the room for yourself.
“You always heard the ‘party’ of the others, sometimes you could hardly sleep. There is one party after another, then alcohol comes into play. It happens that people have sex and there are enough people who strive for that.”
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The shortage at this year’s Winter Olympics caused such a stir that the President of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, felt compelled to address the matter publicly.
He wrote on social media: “Yes, we provide free condoms to athletes in the Olympic Village. If this seems strange to some, then they are not familiar with the established Olympic practice.
“It started in Seoul in 1988 to raise awareness among athletes and young people about the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, a topic that should not cause shame.”