Aussie boxer’s ‘unpopular’ Olympic opinion

It’s one of the most talked about topics beyond the field, pitch and pool at the Paris Olympics – and several athletes have weighed in on it.

Cardboards beds — it’s one of the most talked about topics beyond the field, pitch and pool at the Paris Olympics.

If you’re not aware, there’s been a lot of discussion among athletes around the recyclable cardboard beds at the Olympic Village.

Some love it, others hate it and they’ve taken to social media to back their stance.

“I honestly don’t even mind the beds, I haven’t had any trouble sleeping,” Aussie boxer Tina Rahimi said in a TikTok that’s amassed more than half a million views.

Aussie boxer Tina Rahimi has weighed in on the cardboard bed debate. Picture: TikTok/tinarahimii_

She said while her opinion may be ‘unpopular’ but she actually finds the beds comfy. Picture: TikTok/tinarahimii_

“I probably won’t even change it or get any mattress toppers. I know you’re able to do that.”

In the clip titled “unpopular opinion”, Tina showed viewers what her bed looks like, adding it’s “soft and moderate”.

“I’ve just left it how it is to be honesty. I haven’t really changed anything. I am happy with it.”

She then shared a follow up video of the ‘Mattress Fitting Centre’ at the Olympic Village that helps athletes pick the best mattress according to their body shape.

After they fill out an online form which includes their height and weight it then determines their mattress configuration.

She shared footage of the ‘mattress fitting centre’ at the Olympic Village. Picture: TikTok/tinarahimii_

Athletes fill out an online form that includes their weight and height. Picture: TikTok/tinarahimii_

While many athletes have been posting about their beds saying they haven’t had any issues, there’s been several others who have complained about their firmness.

“Already had a massage to undo the damage,” Aussie water polo player Matilda Kearns wrote on Instagram.

“We’re trying to flip them over. Apparently there’s a softer side but that was the soft side,” she said in the clip as she started laughing.

Although the beds have adjustable firmness levels, it still didn’t do the trick for the athlete who said it was “rock solid”.

The beds have adjustable firmness levels – soft, moderate and hard and based on the info they provide, it tells athletes how they should configure their mattress. Picture: TikTok/tinarahimii_

In another post she said Aussie officials had purchased mattress toppers and extra pillows for their athletes.

“I’m so grateful, because I was waking up every second hour. I actually thought about going on the floor,” Kearns said.

Meanwhile, Simone Biles also revealed on TikTok she is getting a mattress topper.

“The bed sucks … … BUT we are getting mattress toppers so hopefully it’ll get better,” she said after a user asked how comfy the beds really are.

Fellow US gymnast Frederick Richard shipped a mattress to the Games, telling NBC he’s been sleeping “like a king.”

For Tina it was recommended she have it the three adjustable cushions as soft, moderate and moderate. Picture: TikTok/tinarahimii_

She gave it the nod of approval. Picture: TikTok/tinarahimii_

“Everyone’s complaining about beds and stuff,” Richard said on Wednesday. “I ordered my bed already, shipped it here. I had a comfy bed from the start.”

Meanwhile, other athletes have taken to social media to debunk theories about the beds being “anti-sex”.

The cardboard beds first went viral in 2021 after American track and field runner Paul Chelimo posted about them on X, claiming that the beds were “aimed at avoiding intimacy among athletes”.

US gymnast Simone Biles also weighed in on it. Picture: Naomi Baker/Getty Images

“Beds will be able to withstand the weight of a single person to avoid situations beyond sports,” Chelimo wrote at the time. “At this point I will have to start practicing how to sleep on the floor.”

She said they ‘suck’. Picture: TikTok

The “anti-sex bed” was something of a digital urban legend, and it was quickly countered on social media by athletes, who posted videos of themselves jumping on the beds to prove their durability, Forbes reported.

Aussie tennis star Daria Saville and Ellen Perez put the beds through their paces at the Paris Olympics, after the myth made a comeback.

Saville and Perez put the beds to the test. Picture: TikTok

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.

Irish artistic gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, who tested the beds in Tokyo and called the “anti-sex” idea “fake news”, put it through the paces again.

And so did Irish artistic gymnast Rhys McClenaghan. Picture: TikTok

He was doing all sorts. Picture: TikTok

“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”.

A spokesman for the Paris Games 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.”