Some Olympian athletes are displeased with the Olympic Village. One of the bigger issues—an "anti-sex" cardboard bed, designed, according to the organizers, to be eco-friendly and durable.
While some athletes found the cardboard beds comfortable, others criticized them as too firm.
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The image shows an athlete's reaction to sleeping on an ‘anti-sex’ cardboard bed at the 2024 Paris Olympics
(Photo: Screengrab)
The beds were initially met with rumors of being "anti-sex" to discourage intimacy among athletes. The rumors have not been instantiated.
Social media was rife with videos of athletes complaining about the thin cardboard beds and other living quarters issues, raising concerns about possible impact on performance.
Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns revealed that Olympians from her country received mattress toppers to make the hard beds easier to sleep on.
Rugby sevens star Ilona Maher went viral with a TikTok video testing the cardboard bed's sturdiness.
The Guardian reported Tom Daley, a British diver, found the beds to be sturdy.
The Olympic Village dining hall was criticized for the lack of high-protein options for athletes relying on meat-based diets.
Other issues raised by athletes included long commutes, hot busses, shared accommodations, and not enough toilets,
The Olympic Village amenities include tiki bars, coffee shops, bakeries, salons, fitness centers, arcades, and a nursery. Some delegations opted to forego these for hotels closer to the sporting venues. South Korean swimmers relocated to a hotel near the swimming arena.
Not everybody is displeased. Surfing competitions are held in Tahiti, and surfers get to lodge in a fancy cruise ship.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Newsweek, ABC News, Yahoo News Australia, Daily Star, Malay Mail, Now Toronto, The Tech Edvocate, The Mirror, The Tab, Daily Hive, KRCR TV, Daily Mail, Inkl, The Business Post, UPI, UNILAD, WBIR, SpotboyE, Pragativadi, Hindustan Times, News18.