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Tom Daley tests out cardboard beds in Paris Olympic Village as fans joke ‘that pose was no accident’

"As you can see, they're pretty sturdy" says Tom

By Brian Leonard

Tom Daley arriving at his room in the Olympic Village in Paris
Tom Daley arriving at his room in the Olympic Village in Paris (Image: Instagram/@TomDaley)

Tom Daley has celebrated his arrival at Paris 2024 by testing out the infamous beds in the Olympic Village.

The star had better get comfortable, as this is where he’ll be staying for the next three weeks. The Paris Olympics take place from Friday 26 July to Sunday 11 August 2024.

The cardboard ‘anti-sex’ beds were introduced at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, supposedly to discourage sex between athletes and restrict the spread of Covid-19.

“As you can see, it’s like a box” – Tom Daley

“For those wondering about the cardboard beds in the village, I’m going to show you what they look like,” the diver told fans on TikTok yesterday (22 July 2024).

 “This is cardboard,” the 30-year-old continued. “As you can see, it’s like a box. Then you’ve got the mattress. Then these cardboard boxes, here, like so, with the mattress on top, and a mattress topper. 

@tomdaley CARBOARD BEDS IN THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE! #paris2024 #olympics ♬ original sound – Tom Daley

“And we get our own little Paris 24 [bedspread].”

Later in the video, Tom is seen jumping up and down. “And as you can see, they’re pretty sturdy!” he adds, as he poses on all fours, giggling.

“The way you went straight into that all-fours position,” commented one Tom fan on the Instagram version of the video.

Assume the position!” joked a second. “That pose at the end was no accident!” a third furthermore added.

“No restrictions regarding sexual activity”

Why the beds have made a reappearance is unclear, as there is no ban on sex between athletes at the Olympics, according to reports.

Mélissa Chovino, a spokesperson for the Paris 2024 organising committee, recently told SELF “there was no intimacy ban in Tokyo [either], but rather health restrictions linked to COVID.”

“Paris 2024 is not imposing, nor have we been asked to implement, any restrictions in this regard,” Chovino added.

Ilona Maher, a Team USA rugby player, meanwhile said that International Olympic Committee is “not policing what people are doing in the village.”

We’re glad to hear it!