Olympic organisers have given the go-ahead for the distribution of condoms but warn athletes not to use them during the games.
The distribution of condoms has been an Olympic tradition since the 1988 Seoul games, where it was used to raise awareness for AIDS and HIV.
Organisers will distribute 160,000 prophylactics to athletes in Tokyo but have requested an anticlimax in the Olympic village due to social distancing protocols.
Instead, organisers hope the athletes will save the condoms for when they return to their home for celebration or consoling.
Speaking to Reuters, an official said, ‘"The distribution of condoms is not for use at the athlete's village, but to have athletes take them back to their home countries to raise awareness."
The contradiction of the message from officials has baffled onlookers, with Japanese mountaineer, Ken Noguchi, saying it is “something I just can’t comprehend”.
Organisers have taken strict measures to ensure the containment of COVID, with Japanese organisers saying athletes will risk deportation should they break protocols.
In the International Olympic Committee's [IOC] so-called ‘play book’ for the games, the 15,000 athletes and support staff have been told to travel alone, dine alone and do not speak in confined areas.
"Without the proper measures in place, it will only take one person to bring in the virus and spread it, especially in places like the athlete village," infectious disease specialist Nobuhiko Okabe said in a press conference.
The games will be closed off for international spectators, although organisers are expected to sign off on a plan to allow up to 10,000 locals to attend events.
Those fans have been asked not to cheer, but rather clap as a further precaution against the spread of COVID.
Organisers have said, “No shouting, no cheering. Please cheer by clapping your hands, and maintain an appropriate distance in case there is overcrowding."
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