Brands
Olympic village runs dry as Milan-Cortina athletes exhaust condom stocks
Officials promise fresh supplies after athletes complain of shortages
MILAN: Just days into the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics 2026, organisers have been caught flat-footed after free condoms at the athletes’ village ran out entirely.
An initial stock of fewer than 10,000 packs, distributed as part of standard Olympic health provision, was exhausted within three days, according to Italian daily La Stampa. Athletes have since complained about the absence of replacements, despite assurances from officials that fresh supplies are on the way. No delivery date has been confirmed.
The scale of demand appears to have taken organisers by surprise. By comparison, athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics reportedly received around 300,000 condoms, roughly two per athlete per day, highlighting how modest the Winter Games allocation was by modern Olympic standards.
The issue briefly spilled into the public arena last week when governor of Lombardy Attilio Fontana, addressed the matter on social media. Free condoms, he said, were an established Olympic practice dating back to the Seoul 1988 Olympics, aimed at promoting awareness of sexually transmitted diseases.
Fuel was added to the moment when Spanish figure skater Olivia Smart posted a video on Instagram showing condoms branded with the Lombardy region’s yellow logo. “I found them,” she said cheerfully. “They have everything you need.” The clip swiftly went viral.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
