‘Fake news’: Aussies, gymnast debunk Paris ‘anti-sex’ beds

With the Paris Olympics just days away, the athletes have put one of the more eye-opening features of the athlete’s village to the test.

Apparently the beds in the Paris Olympic athlete’s village aren’t as “anti-sex” as first advertised.

Following in the footsteps of the Tokyo Games, the Paris athlete’s village feature fully recyclable cardboard beds.

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Just as they did before Tokyo, the beds have raised plenty of questions, particularly when it came to just how much weight they can take.

With athletes of all sizes descending on the village, it’s a fair argument.

But in July 2023, Airweave founder Motokuni Takaoka defended their strength, jumping up and down on one of the beds and stressing they “can support several people on top”.

A spokesman for the Paris Games also told AFP: “We know the media has had a lot of fun with this story since Tokyo 2020, but for Paris 2024 the choice of these beds for the Olympic and Paralympic Village is primarily linked to a wider ambition to ensure minimal environmental impact and a second life for all equipment.”

Regardless, it hasn’t stopped the beds being labelled “anti-sex” beds.

So how do you prove they’re not going to fall apart with the lightest amount of activity? You’ve got to test them out.

Aussie tennis star Daria Saville and Ellen Perez put the beds through their paces.

Starting with high-knee resistance bands, the worm, squat jumps, step ups, volley practice, cannonballs, even racquet smashing, the bed held up despite several disconcerting noises from the bed as they did it.

And they even tested it with sleeping — which it also performed admirably at.

Saville and Perez have put the beds to the test. Photo: TikTok

And it works for sleeping. Photo: TikTok

Irish artistic gymnast Rhys McClenghan, who also tested the beds in Tokyo and called the “anti-sex” idea “fake news”, was also at it.

“I’m at the Paris Olympic Games and they once again have these cardboard anti-sex beds,” McClenaghan said.

“When I tested them last time, they withstood my testing. Maybe I wasn’t rigorous enough …”

McClenaghan jumped on them, ran on them, did handstands on them and said they “passed the test”, once again labelling the furore “fake news”.

He put the bed through its paces. Photo: TikTok

It's an interesting look into his sex life. Photo: TikTok

McClenaghan is a real gold medal chance, having won the last two World Championship Pommel Horse gold medals.

Then again, McClenaghan is also 171cm, and reportedly weighs under 70kg.

While it looks like the beds will hold up to weigh, the mattress is proving to be an issue.

Aussie water polo star Tilly Kearns said the bed was “rock solid”.

She pointed out there was a “softer side” to the mattress, but “that was the soft side”.

Her teammate said “my back is about to fall off”, while the caption read: “Already had a massage to undo the damage”.

The Tokyo beds had their fair share of issues as well with US skateboarder Nyjah Houston saying the bed was “uncomfortable” to sleep on.

It appears the same may be true in 2024.

As for sex, it’s believed condoms have flooded the Olympic village with 200,000 condoms reportedly available for athletes, or around 20 per athlete.

There are also a reported 20,000 female condoms and 10,000 “dental dams” for oral sex will be handed out, while there will also be STD clinics on site.

It’s well up from the 160,000 at Tokyo, but well short of the reported 450,000 at the Rio Games in 2016.

At Seoul 1998, just 8,500 condoms were available, while Sydney 2000 had to order 20,000 more after the initial 70,000 ran out.

Originally published as ‘Fake news’: Aussies, gymnast debunk Paris ‘anti-sex’ beds