Gymnast goes viral with ‘bounce test’ as he debunks rumour that cardboard Olympic beds are ‘anti-sex’

On Friday 23 July, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will start after being delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Athletes from around the world have begun moving into accommodation at the Olympic Village in preparation for the competition.

Due to coronavirus restrictions, everyone involved in the Olympic games is being discouraged from mixing with one another in the Olympic Village, unlike at previous games.

Organisers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have provided the athletes with cardboard beds, which some claimed were an attempt to stop competitors having sex.

It came after US runner Paul Chelimo tweeted:

It was unclear whether Chelimo was joking, but his tweet prompted coverage of the issue.

But, according to officials, the recycled cardboard beds have been made this way to be more environmentally friendly. It’s all part of the games’ carbon neutrality commitment.

Now, to prove that the beds are actually robust and aren’t designed to stop the athletes from  having sex, Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan has filmed himself doing a test jump on the bed – that unsurprisingly went viral.

In a video posted on Twitter, McClenaghan, 21, can be seen jumping on one of the beds to test its strength, proving it won’t break under “use”.

He said: “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 are meant to break under any sudden movements.

“It’s fake news.”

The clip, captioned “‘Anti-sex’ beds at the Olympics” has been viewed 1.2 million times.

Responding to the video, the Olympics official account praised the sportsman for debunking the myth:

Some people, however, still seemed concerned that the beds won’t be comfortable for the athletes.

One person wrote: “Are they comfortable at least? Got pretty worry they won’t be the best thing for athletes recovery.”

Meanwhile, another Twitter user joked: “They don’t need the bed, the bathtub is perfect.”

At every games since the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, Olympians have been given condoms to raise awareness of sexually transmitted diseases and to encourage safe sex.

This year, the tradition has ended as organisers have decided against it due to the Covid-19 rules.