A man named Eric has gone viral on Twitter after a photo of him in the Olympic Village was tweeted by SB Nation report Rodger Sherman. The photo Sherman shared shows Eric wearing a transparent sling bag full of condoms and with the caption, “Meet Eric, the guy whose job it is to walk around the Olympics with a big sack of condoms”.
The tweet with Eric’s photo has been retweeted more than 9,000 times and has over 11,000 likes. After it was published, others also took to the site to express their admiration and appreciation for Eric.
According to the International Olympic Committee, about 450,000 will be distributed during the Rio Olympics, which is three times more than what they gave out during the London Games four years ago. That equates to 42 condoms per games participant.
Most of the condoms are provided through handy vending machines, but the organisers want to make it as easy as possible for the athletes to get their hands on as many condoms as they need. Hence, Eric’s large bag of contraceptives. He is also joined by a mini team, who are promoting safe sex through condom distribution as well.
Part of the reason for Rio’s record-breaking allocation was because 100,000 female condoms will be available for the first time, along with 350,000 condoms for men. About 175,000 packets of lubricant are also being supplied.
The IOC says the condoms, which are known as ‘little shirts of venus’ in Brazil, would encourage 10,500 athletes and staff to practice safe sex.
Sherman’s tweet got a huge response on the social media site, with many users responding that ‘not all heroes wear capes’ and appreciating the work Eric and his team are carrying out.
The athlete’s village has a reputation for promiscuity and condoms have been supplied since the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
Australian swimmer Melanie Schlanger, 29, lifted the lid on what really goes on behind the scenes in the Olympic Village, saying athletes will not be abstaining from sex during the games. In an interview, she was quoted as saying, “Let’s just say there is a very good reason there are so many free condoms in the village,” adding that she expects Tinder, an online dating mobile app, will be popular this year.
It is also not clear if the increase in the number of condoms this year is related to the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil. The virus is carried by mosquitoes but can be passed on sexually as well. It is linked to microcephaly, a congenital condition that results to incomplete development of the brain and undersized heads in babies.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has taken extra precautions for its athletes, teaming up with pharmaceutical company Starpharma Holdings Ltd to produce special Zika virus-proof condoms for the team.