Athletes have been settling into their new accommodation at the Olympic Village as they prepare for the Tokyo Games – and testing out what’s on offer, notably their beds and food.
Some media reports and athletes have suggested the cardboard bed frames being used in the Village are for “anti-sex” purposes, though organizers say they are being used to promote the use of recycled materials.
One Olympic athlete – Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan – has been quick to test out his bed’s sturdiness, posting a video on Twitter of himself jumping up and down several times before claiming: “It’s fake! Fake news!”
‘Intimacy among athletes’
Tokyo2020 says the beds will be “turned into recycled paper after the Games.”
“We are promoting the use of recycled materials for procured items and construction materials at the Tokyo 2020 Games,” the Games’ official “Sustainability Pre-Games Report” said.
The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) playbook for athletes and officials states athletes and officials should “avoid physical contact” and “keep two meters’ distance from athletes and at least one meter from others.”
Paul Chelimo, a runner for Team USA, had previously claimed on his Twitter account that the “beds to be installed in Tokyo Olympic Village will be made of cardboard, this is aimed at avoiding intimacy among athletes.”
“Beds will be able to withstand the weight of a single person to avoid situations beyond sports,” he added.
Last month Tokyo Olympic organizers said they planned to give away about 150,000 condoms at the Games, though they are telling athletes to take them home rather than use them in the Olympic Village.
READ: The Japanese superfan who spent $40,000 on Olympics tickets
Meanwhile, Australian swimmer Emily Seebohm has been documenting the daily life of athletes in the Olympic Village in vlogs posted to her Instagram account.
The five-time Olympic medalist gave a brief tour of the Village, including the vast array of food choices available in the dining hall and the self-driving vehicles that will be ferrying athletes around during the Games.
Let the Games begin!