Olympians debunk rumors of fragile ‘anti-sex’ beds with proof

Upon arriving at the athletes’ village, British diver Tom Daley posted a video to review the beds which were rumored to not be strong enough to withstand sexual activity.

After showing how to assemble the bed and its components such as mattresses and pillows, Daley jumped on it and confirmed that the bed was very durable despite being made of cardboard. “As you can see, they are pretty sturdy,” Daley said in the video.

The idea of using cardboard beds in the athletes’ village was applied during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

This year’s athletes have been eager to try out the so-called “anti-sex” beds after they made their debut at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics to poor reviews from some athletes, according to Page Six.

Northern Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan performed acrobatic moves and jumped hard on the bed to test its durability. “Nope. It passed the test. It’s fake! Fake news!” McClenaghan said.

Australian tennis players Daria Saville and Ellen Perez also tested the durability of these beds by performing exercises such as squat jumps and high knees on them.

The 2024 Olympic Paris organizing committee confirmed that the cardboard beds were chosen because they are environmentally friendly and recyclable. They also emphasized that the beds had been tested carefully to ensure durability, comfort and compatibility for athletes.

Sex is always a hot topic at the Olympics. Susen Tiedtke, a former German long jumper who competed in the 1992 and 2000 Olympics, said that the organizing committee had tried to ban sex from the event but it was inevitable.

“Every time the athletes train and compete at the Olympics, they will need a lot of energy, and then they have to release it. We cannot accumulate energy and not release it as that can make us depressed,” she said.

Back in May, Paris Olympics organizers denied that the cardboard beds for athletes this year are “anti-sex”, but rather for environmental purposes.

The Paris Games spokesman told AFP that “the quality of the furniture has been rigorously tested to ensure it is robust, comfortable and appropriate for all the athletes who will use it, and who span a very broad range of body types – from gymnasts to judokas”.

In addition to the rumors about “anti-sex” beds, the 2024 Olympic organizing committee announced that it had prepared 300,000 condoms to serve athletes during the Olympics.

The 2016 Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, recorded a record amount of condom consumption. 450,000 pieces and 175,000 packs of lubricant were given out to athletes for free.

Meanwhile, at Tokyo 2020, about 150,000 condoms were provided to athletes.

At that time, officials said this was not to encourage sexual activity but to “raise awareness of wearing protection and provide a safe space” and advised athletes to only use condoms after competing, and to use them “after returning home.”