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Free condoms to be provided at Winter Olympics - but athletes urged against hugging

The 2022 Winter Olympics begin in Beijing on Friday with athletes beginning to flock to the Olympic Village, where they will be given free condoms but told not to hug

Free condoms will be provided for athletes at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, but they have been advised not to hug each other.

The 24th edition of the games is set to begin in China on Friday and last for 16 days, with athletes from 91 countries competing in 109 events.

Athletes have started to flock to the Olympic Village ahead of the start of the games, including Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam, who boasts two million followers on Instagram.

Those arriving in the Village are set to receive free condoms but have been told to refrain from hugs and handshakes.

[Beijing 2022]

Athletes at the Winter Olympics have been advised not to hug or shake hands(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Due to the risk of spreading Covid, athletes have been advised to avoid hugging and shaking hands during their time in the Village.

The Olympics playbook advises minimal interactions between athletes and asks for competitors to remain within a 'closed loop'.

However, with the Olympic Village infamous for the amount of sex between athletes that occurs during the games, condoms will still be provided for free.

Event organisers told Reuters: "All Olympic-related units will provide appropriate quantities of condoms for free at the appropriate time to people who've checked in to stay inside the loop.

How many medals will Team GB win at the Winter Olympics? Let us know in the comments section below.

[Condoms]

Free condoms will be given to athletes in the Olympic Village(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Condoms were handed out to athletes at the delayed Summer Olympics in Tokyo last year, although only as a parting gift when they left the Village.

The athlete accommodation in the Japanese capital also included supposed anti-sex beds, which were made out of cardboard and could allegedly only hold one person at a time.

This year's Winter Olympics officially begins on Friday with the opening ceremony and will run for over two weeks before the closing ceremony on February 20.

Events begin as early as Wednesday, though, with the curling and luge events getting underway although no medals will be awarded in Beijing until Saturday.

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