Irish Olympian attempts to debunk 'anti-sex beds' myth at Paris 2024... as the gymnast tests out the sturdiness of the cardboard frame in viral video
- The beds in the Olympic Village at Paris 2024 are made mostly from cardboard
- It's been rumoured the beds were designed in mind to discourage sexual activity
- Irish gymnast McClenaghan has attempted to debunk the 'anti-sex bed' myth
An Irish Olympian has gone viral after becoming the latest athlete to test out the 'anti-sex beds' in the Olympic Village ahead of Paris 2024.
The Olympics get underway on Friday night in the 'city of love' but organisers have reportedly attempted to discourage sexual activity between athletes during the Games.
For the second Games running, the beds have been made using cardboard, though Olympic organisers have stressed they were designed to symbolise the competition's commitment to sustainability.
It is common knowledge that in past Olympics that some athletes engaged in sexual relations, with reports claiming that 200,000 condoms will be made available to them by Durex over the next three weeks.
Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan demonstrated that the bed frames were a lot sturdier than advertised.
Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan has tested out the sturdiness of the Olympic 'anti-sex beds'
In an Instagram video, the pummel horse star said: 'I’m at the Paris Olympic games and they once again have these cardboard ‘anti-sex beds’.
‘When I tested them the last time, they withstood my testing. Maybe I wasn’t rigorous enough, though.’
The 25-year-old then put the bed through a test by jumping around on it, performing handstands and front flips.
Despite the extra weight he was putting on the bed by doing this, the frame didn't budge.
McClenaghan concluded: ‘No, they pass the test. It’s fake, it’s fake news!’
Team GB diving icon Tom Daley previously tested out the beds, in a video uploaded on TikTok.
After sharing some close-up shots of the bed's frame, Daley, 30, then began to jump up and down on top of his mattress, while saying: 'As you can see, they are pretty sturdy.'
Israeli baseball player Ben Wanger also posted a video to TikTok of himself jumping on the bed without breaking it.
Tom Daley shared a video from inside his bedroom in the Paris Olympic Village on Monday
By jumping up and down on his cardboard bed, Daley showed that it was surprisingly sturdy
Wanger later deleted his video but in it he had said: 'We actually enjoy sleeping on these beds, and think they are a great and sustainable option for future Olympics.'
However, the cardboard beds have not proven popular among all athletes.
Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns and team-mate Gabi Palm are seemingly less impressed.
'Already had a massage to undo the damage,' Kearns moaned via social media.
Kearns also uploaded a video, which began with her saying: 'Night one on the cardboard beds'.
Palm was heard in the background saying: 'My back is about to fall off.'
Trying to adjust the bed, Kearns then added: 'It's actually rock solid. You can kind of move it, apparently there is a softer side.'
After flipping the mattress, a disappointed Kearns grumbled: 'That was the soft side.'
McClenaghan will hope to leave Paris with a first Olympic medal and stands a good chance after winning two world championships, three European championships and a Commonwealth Games champion on the pommel horse.
