Ilona Maher, the charismatic Olympic rugby star known for her candid takes, has weighed in on one of the most talked-about stories from the 2026 Winter Olympics—the mysterious shortage of 10,000 condoms in the athlete village. And her theory might surprise you.
Maher, who represented Team USA in women's rugby sevens at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games, took to Instagram on May 7 to "dispel the rumors." In a lighthearted video, she suggested that many of those condoms weren't used for their intended purpose at all. Instead, she argued, they were snatched up as souvenirs.
"These past Winter Olympics, there was a rumor that over 10,000 condoms were used," Maher said in the clip. "Now, some were probably used for that purpose, uh, but I'm here to tell you a lot of them were used as souvenirs."
She's not alone in this theory. Madagascar alpine skier Mialitiana Clerc shared a similar take in February, telling USA TODAY Sports she doesn't believe all those condoms were being put to use. Maher even offered a personal example: "When I went to the Olympics, I went and grabbed a handful and now I have them forever. I was on my bedside table the other day, I found a condom from Tokyo. How cool is that?"
The condom shortage became a hot topic just a week before the Games were set to wrap up, when event organizers confirmed that supplies in the Olympic Villages in Milano Cortina had been restocked. The International Olympic Committee later explained that the depletion was "due to higher-than-anticipated demand," adding that condoms would be "continuously replenished until the end of the Games to ensure continued availability."
But Maher is sticking to her souvenir theory. "So that's really the reason, guys. OK. They were probably doing a little bit in there, but these are just around for us," she added with a wink.
For athletes, the Olympic Village is more than just a place to sleep—it's a hub of camaraderie, competition, and, apparently, collectibles. Whether those condoms were used for keepsakes or something else, one thing is clear: the Olympics never fail to deliver memorable stories, both on and off the field.