Debunked: Athlete puts Tokyo Olympics "anti-sex" bed to the test

The Tokyo Olympics were originally scheduled for the year 2020.

READ: SA business donates R100k to those working on rebuilding KZN

Unfortunately, COVID-19 came in and decided to wreak havoc on the world and simultaneously put so many athletes' lifelong dreams on hold.

A year later and things are seemingly back on track.

And while many of us are excited to once again lose ourselves in competitive sports, that we have never heard of until now, there are also some very interesting Olympic village facts making the rounds.

READ: Stacey talks about her anxiety and mental health in special message for KZN

The Olympic Village, where the athletes stay for the duration of their time competing in the Games, is notorious for being a rowdy place. Since its inception, it has been the subject of many scandalous rumours and myths.

One of these myths is that there is a lot of intimate moments being shared between teammates, as well as with other competitors.

READ: Baby saved from burning building by Durban mom and crowd of heroes

That is intimate moments of a sexual nature...

Many Olympic athletes have had to debunk these myths, awkwardly avoid answering these questions during interviews, and have seen themselves being dragged into the drama.

That being said: the first Olympic Village rumour has burst onto the scene.

READ: Durban youth organisation helping to clean up KZN

The New York Post created a stir online when they published a piece stating that Olympic officials set up 18,000 cardboard beds that are said to be more environmentally friendly than regular beds and they can only support the weight of one person.

Two people on one cardboard bed will result in a disastrous cuddle session.

READ: Insurance specialist has advice for KZN small businesses affected by #KZNShutdown

The situation was first brought to everyone's attention by American distance runner Paul Chelimo:

And soon everyone had heard about these, now infamous, "anti-sex" beds:

READ: Study reveals how cats and dogs really feel about owners working from home

However, as quickly as the news spread that these beds were an attempt to curb athletes from getting into bed with one another, it soon came to light that these beds might be more durable than everyone thought.

Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan took it upon himself to declare that this was all fake news and that while the beds were indeed made of cardboard, they were quite sturdy.

And how did he choose to disprove this "anti-sex" bed rumour? By jumping on his bed of course:

READ: No more chips left in the house? Make your own with pasta!

It's the "FAKE NEWS" for us (Although we might have expected a more creative routine from an Olympic gymnast).

So while there is no denying that the beds are made of cardboard, for all intents and purposes, it seems like the intentions behind this innovation were environmentally driven.

READ: WATCH: 7-year-old Taylor addresses looters in truthful and uplifting video

It is still important to note that even though the Olympic organisers might not have actually gone this far in order to discourage sexual intercourse between athletes, they are very serious about maintaining COVID-19 safety protocols.

They have broken a different tradition, that has been going since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, which is: not providing condoms to the Games participants. It was first introduced to help promote safe sex but amid the pandemic, Tokyo has decided to scrap the idea and remove the temptation completely.

READ: Legal expert explains: what is "a state of emergency"?

At the end of the day, if you're a Tokyo Olympics-qualified athlete, maybe this isn't the worst news. This is your daily reminder to get your head in the game and bring home that gold!

The rest of us will just return to our lovely, comfy, non-cardboard beds for now.

Main image courtesy of @DailyMirror/Twitter