Australian athlete uses Olympics-issued condom to repair kayak in Tokyo
Maria Wheeler
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Australian canoeist Jessica Fox used a condom to repair the nose of her kayak during the K1 women’s event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Her innovative repair solution is documented in a now-viral video. “Bet you never knew condoms could be used for kayak repairs,” says the Instagram post showing how to slide a condom onto the tip of the kayak.
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The video shows a sticky carbon mixture being spread on the end of the kayak, and a condom is gently slid over top of the mixture. “Very stretchy,” the caption reads. “Much strong.”
“It gives the carbon a smooth finish [rofl emoji],” the video explains.
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Fox used the condom-bearing canoe to win the bronze medal in her event, the women’s kayak slalom. 27-year-old Fox is the world’s top-ranked paddler in canoe and kayak and also won gold in the first women’s canoe slalom race in Olympic history.
The organizers of the Olympics plan to distribute 150,000 condoms to the athletes competing in the Tokyo 2020 games. Athletes are encouraged to use them after the games, rather than during their stay in the Olympic Village, however.