Fun with Math

The Olympics are coming to Paris this summer. The Paris Olympic Organizing Committee has the venues constructed, accommodations planned, and coverage in place. They “checked one of the final boxes” yesterday when they announced that 300,000 special Paris Olympic condoms will be made available in the Athletes’ Village.

How did the Committee arrive at this seemingly preposterous quantity? By using simple math, of course. The Village will house 14,000 young, physically fit, hormonally-crazed athletes, coaches, and staff over 13 days. Rounding those numbers up to 15,000 people x 20 days x 1 sexual encounter/day = 300,000. Ta-Da!

Paris was determined not to repeat the problem encountered by the Sydney Olympic Committee during the 2000 Games. Sydney’s original order of 70,000 condoms was soon exhausted and an emergency shipment of 20,000 was needed.

The 2016 Rio Olympics took the cake. Those crazy Brazilians ordered 450,000 condoms and still exhausted their supply.

Human nature trumps my beloved math every time though. Paris could provide 600,000 condoms and they would all disappear. Less than 1% of those 14,000 athletes will bring home a medal from their Paris sojourn, but every one of them can proudly show a Paris Olympic condom to their homeboys/girls.

Anyone can pack one of those miniature Eiffel Towers in their luggage but only world-class athletes can pack a condom souvenir.

By Ed Dufton