Cardboard beds are not meant to stop athletes having sex at the Olympics

Claims that the cardboard beds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are “anti-sex” are fake news. 

Last week pictures of the beds at the Games went viral on social media after Olympic runner Paul Chelimo shared the beds were made of “high resistance lightweight cardboard” to avoid intimacy among athletes.

In the viral thread, Chelimo said the beds “will be able to withstand the weight of a single person to avoid situations beyond sports”. 

He joked that those who pee on the beds were at risk, saying once a carton box is wet, the bed falls over.

However, according to a statement shared by Inside The Games, the cardboard bed frames are made from high-resistance cardboard to support weights of up to 200kg.

“The beds will be recycled into paper products after the Games, with the mattress components recycled into new plastic products."

The beds comprise three distinct sections supporting the upper, middle and lower body, and the hardness of each section can be customised to suit each athlete’s body shape. 

Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan filmed himself jumping on one of the beds to debunk the claims they were not hard enough. 

“In today’s episode of fake news at the Olympic Games, the beds are meant to be anti-sex. They’re made out of cardboard, yes, but apparently they’e meant to break with sudden movements. It’s fake news,” said McClenaghan.

France24 reported that organisers of the Olympics Games planned to distribute 160,000 condoms to the athletes but they are not meant to be used at the Olympic Village.

The reason for the distribution of condoms is unknown since the rule book outlining safety measures advises athletes to “avoid unnecessary forms of physical contact such as hugs, high-fives and handshakes”.