While different sports competitions, athletes, and even some scandals at the Olympics have already made headlines, it’s the beds in the Olympic village that have been the center of attention.
The beds, initially labeled as “anti-sex beds,” are made entirely out of cardboard. The mattresses are made out of fishing net and have three “modules” that allow athletes sleeping on it to choose their level of firmness, from soft, medium, and firm.
The beds are manufactured by Airweave, who also made the products for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Olympic officials cite sustainability as the primary reason they opted for the 100% recyclable beds this year.
A number of athletes have been giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the Olympic Village, and nothing has garnered more attention or controversy than these beds.
Athletes like Ilona Maher, a member of the women’s rugby team for Team USA and a social media star, shared a video of her and her teammates testing out the beds with a number of different “activities” from breakdancing to gymnastics to childbirth.
Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan also put the cardboard beds to the test with a series of funky moves and said that the claim of them being “anti-sex beds” was “fake news.”
Ellen Perez, an Australian tennis athlete, also tested her bed out with her teammate, using a number of different fitness and tennis moves, even throwing in a cannonball.
While some athletes are taking a playful approach, others are straight up not impressed.
Tilly Kearns and her teammate posted a video following their first night on the beds, captioning it, “Already had a massage to undo the damage #olympics 😂”
Some athletes and teams claim the beds are so bad they’ve had to leave the Olympic Village. Team USA’s tennis players, alongside South Korean swimmers, have reportedly ditched the Olympic village and put themselves up in hotels instead.
While many athletes are having fun with it and others are bashing them, a few athletes are giving the beds an A-OK.
British diver Tom Daley provided a detailed review of all the different parts of the bed and concluded his video by saying that the beds were actually “pretty sturdy.”
Jamie Riddle, a triathlete from South Africa, said they definitely “passed the jump test,” but “the bed is really firm, wouldn’t be my first choice but it does the job 😂.”
