Olympics 2024 Fact Check: Carboard Beds for Athletes to Prevent Sex at Village? Know the Truth about 'Anti-Sex' Beds

The Olympics 2024 is just a couple of months away. With the global extravaganza set to take place in the City of Love, Paris, an old speculation has started to creep up yet again, and that involves Sex.

Paris is buzzing with preparations, but a unique feature in the athlete's village has caught widespread attention. Reports have surfaced about the introduction of cardboard beds, sparking rumours that these are designed to discourage sexual activity among athletes.

What are Cardboard Beds for Olympics?

These ultra-light cardboard beds, first seen at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, are making a return in Paris. The city is set to host over 10,000 athletes from July 26 to August 11, turning the city into a global sports hub. These Cardboard beds, caught a rumour as many reports emerged during Tokyo that these have been introduced to stop athletes from having carnal pleasure in the village during the competition. Many have referred this as 'Anti-Sex' beds as well.

"Anti-sex beds have arrived in Paris ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games, with their materials and small size allegedly aimed at deterring athletes from getting kinky during the competition. The beds' twin size means there's no room for the competitors to sidle up together," a report from the New York Post claimed.

The rumours were fueled by an Olympic runner named Paul Chelimo claiming the beds were to stop people from having sex as it won't be able to carry the weight of 'two people'. Previously, a few athletes claimed to have several sexual encounters during the Olympics. Matthew Syed, a Table Tennis player previously told an English outlet about his wild encounters in the Olympics, where he reported having more sex in those two and half weeks than in his entire life.

Olympics 2024: Cardboard Beds are Not 'Anti-Sex'

But is it the reason behind the Cardboard Beds? Amidst this, the myth of cardboard beds designed to prevent intimate encounters among athletes has been debunked.

The USA Today reportedly had a deeper look and cleared that the focus is actually on eco-friendliness. The main purpose of these beds is far removed from controlling the athletes' private lives. Despite the buzz around them being "anti-sex" beds, the reality is they serve an environmental goal. Created by Airweave, the same company that furnished the Tokyo Games, these beds are part of a sustainable initiative.

Environmental Goal and Athlete Comfort

The beds can support up to 441 pounds (200 kg), debunking the idea that they're too fragile for any movements apart from sleep. The aim is to minimize environmental impact, as explained by Tokyo 2020 organizer Takashi Kitajima.

Due to the small weight of the beds, they can be translocated to places with minimal effort and that is quite an important aspect of introducing these in Paris. Also, the mattress is made of three different blocks made from three polyethylene fibres, each of which supports the Head, the Body and the Legs.

The modern technology of the bed also allows them to adjust the mattress according to their need as it provides a proper firmness for an athlete according to their posture. Hence the entire module is designed to achieve proper spine alignment and sleep posture for athletes.

Thus, athletes heading to Paris can rest easy. The cardboard beds are not a commentary on personal choices, but rather an effort to minimize their physical, ecological and perhaps logistical burden.