Ilona Maher says how she thinks Olympians went through 10K condoms

TL;DR

Ilona Maher commented on the condom shortage at the 2026 Winter Olympics, suggesting many were kept as souvenirs rather than used. She estimated that a significant number of the 10,000 condoms distributed were not used for their intended purpose.

Key points

Ilona Maher commented on the condom shortage at the 2026 Winter Olympics
She suggested many condoms were kept as souvenirs
Over 10,000 condoms were reportedly distributed
Maher is a competitor in women's rugby sevens

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Ilona Maher

women's rugby sevens2026 Winter OlympicsTeam USA

Ilona Maher has a hot take on the condom shortage that took place at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Maher, who competed for Team USA in women's rugby sevens at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics, took to Instagram May 7 to "dispel the rumors," telling viewers that she suspected "a lot" of the rubbers were used as keepsakes.

"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."

Ilona Maher attends the South Carolina Gamecocks against the UCLA Bruins during the National Championship game of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona on April 5, 2026.

Madagascar alpine skier Mialitiana Clerc offered a similar theory in February, telling USA TODAY Sports that she doesn’t believe they’re all just being used.

"When I went to the Olympics, I went and grabbed a handful and now I have them forever," Maher said. "I was on my bedside table the other day, I found a condom from Tokyo. How cool is that?"