They come from all corners of the planet, young, beautiful and in top physical shape, with one thing in mind: to compete in the Olympic sport for which they have trained intensively for the past four years.
Or at least that’s what they’ll say in media interviews.
In fact, extensive anecdotal experience tells us that many of them also have a second thing on their mind: sex.
With this unique opportunity to meet and hang out with other athletes in peak physical condition, the temptation to get to know them much more intimately can be overwhelming for many.
This trend was apparently something that the organizers of the Paris Olympic Village had in mind when they announced the distribution of free condoms to competitors this summer.
Condoms are seen inside the Athletes’ Village ahead of the Paris Olympic Games on July 23, 2024 in Paris, France.
General view of a bed, made of cardboard, which will be used by athletes at the Olympic Village in Paris
And not just one or two, but some 200,000 condoms distributed throughout the complex, the equivalent of 14 for each athlete.
There are also other kits for people with sexual problems available for free, such as 20,000 female condoms, 10,000 dental dams (to protect against any infection during oral sex), as well as a state-of-the-art medical clinic to treat any unexpected repercussions, including STIs, sexual injuries and unwanted pregnancies.
MailOnline spoke to one competitor, a sprinter representing a Caribbean island, who spoke to us on condition of anonymity. He told us: ‘Right now, I’m totally focused on my event. I’ve been training for this for as long as I can remember.
“But once the race is over, it’s time for some fun. And yes, that means there will be plenty of shenanigans.”
Athletes’ accounts of wild sex parties at past Olympics are the stuff of legend.
The most famous athlete of modern times, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, is said to have had a particularly lively all-night party with three members of the Swedish handball team shortly after winning the 100m final at London 2012.
And at Rio 2016, the fastest man in the world wasted no time in convincing a beautiful Brazilian samba dancer to join him in the Athletes’ Village after another convincing victory.
Or there was Team USA swimmer Ryan Lochte, who reportedly had sex on a balcony at Athens 2004, once saying: “I’d say 75 percent of Olympic athletes have sex.”
Casual sex is said to be so widespread that some athletes joke that the second Olympic motto should be: “What happens in the village, stays in the village.”
Team USA goalkeeper Hope Solo revealed: “There’s a lot of sex. I’ve seen people having sex outside. On the grass, between buildings, people getting dirty.”
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is said to have had a particularly lively all-night party with three members of Sweden’s handball team shortly after winning the 100m final (pictured) at London 2012.
Or there was US team swimmer Ryan Lochte, who reportedly had sex on a balcony at Athens 2004 and once said: “I’d say 75 percent of Olympic athletes have sex” (pictured: Lochte after winning the men’s 200m individual medley final in Athens in 2004).
US goalkeeper Hope Solo (pictured after winning gold at the London 2012 Games) revealed: “There’s a lot of sex. I’ve seen people having sex outside. On the grass, between buildings, people getting dirty.”
Meanwhile, a shooter on the US team once recalled: ‘I have never in my life witnessed the debauchery that was seen at Sydney 2000.
“My apartment was like a brothel in the Olympic Village. One morning, the entire women’s 4×100 relay team from a Scandinavian-looking country came out of the house, followed by the US track and field guys.”
With sex on the minds of many of the 14,500 athletes, Paris 2024 organisers have tried to ensure they focus primarily on what they have at hand: their events.
The accepted protocol – although not everyone respects it – is the following: first the medals, then making love.
The first to buckle under the weight of testosterone are expected to be members of the world’s rugby sevens teams, which is one of the first events to end.
“We have games up to two days before the closing ceremony but the boys’ Rugby Sevens will finish on Tuesday,” one hockey player told MailOnline as members of Serbia’s women’s basketball team walked past.
“They then have two days until they are kicked out of the Olympic Village. That’s when they make friends with the Norwegian handball team and you see if there’s a spark.”
This year, organizers are said to have tried to curb sexual appetite by installing so-called single cardboard beds that only fit one person.
Tom Daley, star diver for Team GB who is embarking on his fifth Olympic Games, has gone viral with a video showing him playing in his bed.
Set to the soundtrack of Charli XCX’s ‘Apple’, Daley demonstrated his trampoline technique on his own bed before declaring that it’s ‘pretty sturdy’.
Tom Daley shared a video from inside his room at the Olympic Village in Paris on Monday
The Olympic rings are seen at the Eiffel Tower, Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Paris.
The playful Daley also made a particularly fruity joke about the Olympic rings.
But others have dismissed any suggestion of an anti-sex agenda. Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan branded the cardboard bed story “fake news”.
Athletes are also expected to visit the many romantic sites and monuments that have led to Paris being known as the City of Love.
An athletics coach added: “I’m a happily married man, but there are a lot of young guys here. Once they finish their event, they like to have fun.
“I’ve seen at least four large closets full of condoms and anything else they might need.”
The free condoms will be handed out in the blue, red, green and purple colours of the Paris 2024 Games and will be presented in unbranded packaging accompanied by infection prevention messages in English. Athletes will also receive tubes of lubricant.
Athletes typically share rooms with another member of the same sex, and roommates are expected to sleep on their teammates’ floor if their colleague has an expected guest.
The Athletes’ Village is made up of a series of apartment blocks that are occupied by nations.
Generally each sex is assigned separate blocks or floors depending on the size of the team.
Athletes often share rooms with another member of the same sex, and roommates are expected to sleep on their teammates’ floor if their colleague has an expected guest.
The Athletes’ Village is made up of a series of apartment blocks that are occupied by nations
Athletes walk through the village of Saint Quen, Paris, ahead of the opening ceremony this week
Spread over three floors, the modern medical centre at the Athletes’ Village can handle up to 700 consultations per day.
“It’s better than the local hospital,” revealed one Paris2024 organiser.
“It has everything: scanners, operating room, pharmacy. Treating sexually transmitted diseases is not a problem.”
Athletes will have access to doctors specialising in gynaecology, cardiology, dental and ophthalmological treatment, as well as sports injuries. In addition, up to 70 magnetic resonance imaging scans will be carried out per day.
“This multidisciplinary care centre is the cornerstone of the health system dedicated to athletes and their delegations,” said Dr Pierre Mauger, head of medical services for Paris 2024.
