Athletes react to 'anti-sex' beds in Tokyo Olympic village
A number of athletes have taken to social media to share a laugh at the comical 'anti-sex' cardboard beds at the Olympic village in Tokyo.
Organisers announced that athletes will sleep on bed frames made from recyclable cardboard, with mattresses formed of polyethylene materials that will be reused for plastic products after the Games.
Up to 18,000 beds are required at the village, nestled in Tokyo Bay and in sight of the iconic Rainbow Bridge, during the Olympics that begin on July 24.
Only 8,000 beds will be needed for the Paralympics.
But conditions are not necessarily luxurious.
Images from athletes showed small rooms, with a single bed, of only nine square metres and doubles of 12 square metres.
Athletes will have to share the room, which experts have claimed could increase the risk of spreading Covid-19.
But many have also taken a dig at the laughable 'anti-sex' beds.
While the beds are tough enough to stand up to beefy weightlifters and towering basketball players, they are designed for one person only.
Athletes and fans have started arriving in Tokyo as they settle in ahead of the Opening Ceremony this week and many have taken a cheeky dig at the sleeping arrangements.
Taking the mattress off the bed and placing it on the floor seems far too easy to fix this problem 🤨@Tokyo2020 did you make the floors anti-sex too? Asking for a friend 😂 https://t.co/AR9ereLhfm
— Ellen Perez (@EllenPerez95) July 18, 2021
Let me order this mattress pad for this bed ... I just know that mattress is hard in Tokyo 😂😂😂
— Brittney Reese, OLY, MBA (@DaLJBeast) July 17, 2021
So if I spill water on my bed in Tokyo, will it be compromised!? 😂😂
— Rai Benjamin (@_Kingben_) July 17, 2021
How many suitcases you bringing to Tokyo? 🧐
— Keturah Orji (@Keturahorji) July 17, 2021
Before After pic.twitter.com/P5yi3RpS80
— Paul Chelimo🇺🇸🥈🥉 (@Paulchelimo) July 17, 2021
Keep in mind that only 20% of Japanese are fully vaccinated.
— John Aravosis 🇺🇸🇬🇷🏳️🌈 (@aravosis) July 17, 2021
Beds in Olympics in Tokyo. Made from recycled cardboard. Really good for the environment, will be interesting to see if my back benefit from it as well 👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/XIAJrt4pjc
— Zećira Mušović (@ZeciraMusovic) July 18, 2021
Yes, the beds are actually cardboard boxes 📦 @sydneyleroux you could make one from all your Amazon packages 💋 pic.twitter.com/zKzu2Lo00V
— Ali Riley (@RileyThree) July 17, 2021
Tokyo Olympic village in spotlight
The first glimpse of the village since last year's postponement revealed a virtual city within a city, with everything from a playground and florist to dry cleaners and ice baths for athletes and staff.
The site stretches across 44 hectares of reclaimed land in the Tokyo Bay, with 21 residents towers, a 3,000-seat canteen, a park, gyms and recreation facilities, complete with Nintendo consoles.
Young trees that organisers hope will eventually provide shade during the fierce Tokyo summer dot the otherwise almost eerily empty village, populated only by workers, uniformed guards on bikes and firefighters carrying out drills.
Up to 3,000 staff will look after everything from stops for autonomous buses to kitchens serving thousands of meals.
Athletes will arrive only shortly before their event and must leave 48 hours after being eliminated or the completion of their event.
