The cardboard beds at the Tokyo Olympic Village are “sturdy”, organisers reassured on Monday, after a report warned they weren’t strong eno...
The cardboard beds at the Tokyo Olympic Village are “sturdy”, organisers reassured on Monday, after a report warned they weren’t strong enough for sex.
Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan filmed himself jumping repeatedly on a bed to prove the point, after the report in the New York Post claimed the beds were deliberately flimsy to promote social distancing.
“The beds are meant to be anti-sex. They’re made out of cardboard, yes, but apparently they’re meant to break with sudden movements. It’s fake – fake news!” McClenaghan said in the video posted on Twitter.
“Anti-sex” beds at the Olympics pic.twitter.com/2jnFm6mKcB
— Rhys Mcclenaghan (@McClenaghanRhys) July 18, 2021
The official Olympics Twitter account thanked McLenaghan for “debunking the myth”, adding “the sustainable beds are sturdy!”
The report in the New York Post was based on a tweet, apparently tongue-in-cheek, by US distance runner Paul Chelimo who said the cardboard beds were “aimed at avoiding intimacy among athletes”.
“Beds will (only) be able to withstand the weight of a single person to avoid situations beyond sports,” he tweeted.
It’s not the first time the beds, which signal a commitment to sustainability, have come into question.
In January, manufacturer Airweave said they can withstand a weight of 200 kilos (440 pounds) and have been through rigorous stress tests, after Australian basketball player Andrew...
