The narrative was initially showcased in WIRED Italia. It has been changed from the Italian language.
Indeed, the accommodations for athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics are constructed from cardboard material. This unique sleeping arrangement, which piqued interest and skepticism following various athlete videos shared online, was officially confirmed by the coordinators of the French Olympic Games. They revealed that Airweave, the Japanese organization responsible for the athletes’ rest during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is now recognized as the “official provider of bedding for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
These cardboard beds can be disassembled for transportation in compact containers, and upon completion of their usage, they can be recycled. Despite their paper-based composition, when properly assembled, the beds are engineered to be exceptionally resilient—this design feature serves a crucial purpose.
“Our intention was to design these cardboard beds to withstand the weight of three to four individuals jumping on them, as we anticipate considerable elation following a medal win,” shared Motokuni Takaoka, the founder and president of Airweave.
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Anti-Intimacy Beds?
The adoption of cardboard beds reignited an episode that emerged during the Tokyo Olympics. In 2020, American cross-country skier Paul Chelimo expressed unease by sharing a video displaying the beds and speculating that their perceived fragility might be a strategy to curtail intimacy among competitors. Nonetheless, the no-sex bed theory was debunked later, with the social distancing measures enforced by the Olympic committee aimed at mitigating the risk of Covid transmission.
However, the restriction on intimacy between athletes, which fueled apprehensions back then, was revoked by the Olympic committee in March. Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic villages director Laurent Michaud, in an interview with Sky News, stated that the committee would be distributing 300,000 condoms to ensure that “everyone’s anticipations and necessities are met.”
Regarding withstanding the impact of exuberant jumping or any other activities, as depicted in the athletes’ videos, the beds are built to endure a weight of up to 250 kg, incorporating a customizable modular mattress system with three distinct firmness levels to cater to various athletes’ body types and requirements.
Cardboard beds at the 2024 Paris OlympicsGao Jing/Xinhua via Getty Images
Environmentally-Friendly Rest
The utilization of 16,000 cardboard beds with completely reusable and recyclable mattresses for the Paris games is part of various initiatives implemented to make these games the “Greenest Ever,” including the cleanup of the Seine River.
Recently, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, equipped with a wet suit and goggles, immersed herself entirely in the Seine, where swimming has been prohibited for a century, and where untreated sewage was discharged into the river for half a century. This promotional activity was conducted to demonstrate that the water quality is now suitable for hosting multiple Olympic swimming events, and three communal bathing areas will be inaugurated post the Games.
