By: Lakeview Health
“I’m talking booze, people randomly making out, everybody else cheering them on. And that was the PG stuff,” said NHL player Bobby Ryan, of the silver winning American squad. Ryan is describing the activities that have recently made headlines regarding the non-athletic events among our Olympians. According to an ESPN article titled “Will you Still Medal in the Morning?”, sex and alcohol abuse are taking place at the Olympic Village—the community where all competing athletes live for three weeks during the event. When I first read this ESPN article I was shocked to learn that alcohol was even being consumed by the best athletes in the world. I was thinking to myself – “Wouldn’t such activity affect their performance?” Then I learned of the excessive amount of alcohol and sex that was taking place, which really caught me by surprise. Apparently, Olympian athletes know (and look forward to) coming to The Village as it has been synonymous with sex and alcohol. Even the Olympic organizers are aware of the sexual activity and are reported to supply at least 150,000 condoms to The Village pre-games. Among the approximate 10,500 athletes at the Olympics, each athlete is calculated as having sex 15 times over the course of 3 weeks. (Reference: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetorch/2012/08/08/158416801/rogue-condoms-appear-in-olympic-village-organizers-take-action) Media chalks the Olympians’ excessive alcohol use and sexcapades to the intensity of training all year and the lack of energy outlets during the competitions. Professionals may categorize this as a compulsive behavior similar to addiction. Would this be classified as a short lived sex and alcohol addiction? That may be stretching it a bit but nevertheless it is extremely risky behavior. I can think of at least one Greek God who wouldn’t be able to cast the first stone, can you? What is your reaction to the Olympic Village? We would love to hear from you.
