As the Paris Olympics inches closer, it seems like it’s not just the participating athletes who are concerned with bringing out the best they have to offer. While the organizers spared no expense to ensure the comfort of the visiting stars, it was the beds provided to the athletes at the Olympic Village that gained mass attraction in recent months.

The beds are made of polyethylene and cardboard bed frames were rumored to work as a deterrent to amorous activities during the Games. The alleged “anti-se* beds” created quite a ripple across the world after the organizers reportedly reached out to the Japanese company Airweave to use the same beds for the athletes that were provided at the Tokyo Olympics. However, some Olympians have made it their responsibility to verify the rumors for themselves.

In a post on Instagram, the two-time World Championships gold medalist Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan took one for the team as he tested out the beds to see if they were really what the Olympic organizers claimed them to be, and no, he didn’t try to check the beds’ stability by carrying out the one act that they’re supposed to prevent. “Paris Olympics “Anti-se* beds” debunked,” reads the caption of McClenaghan’s IG post as the accompanying video shows him whipping out several routines on the beds.

The 25-year-old arrived at the French capital three days ago and has had sufficient time to verify the durability of the furniture at the Olympic Village. “When I tested them last time, they withstood my testing. Maybe I wasn’t rigorous enough,” says Rhys in the short video clip before doing everything he could to give his bed a run for its money’s worth.

However, after a tiring few minutes, the three-time European champ on the Pommel Horse had to announce: “Fake news!” as the beds seemed more than capable of handling whatever he threw at them. However, while a final general consensus on the beds’ build quality is yet to be arrived upon, there are a lot of other features at the Olympic Village that could make up for their alleged drawback.

Paris Olympics organizers leave no stone unturned to ensure a good stay

The Olympic Games returned to the City of Love a century later. To mark the occasion, the IOC has designed the Olympic Village in collaboration with athletes from all five continents to deliver “the best service possible.” The Village will host 14,250 athletes from all four corners of the world in 3,000 apartments. The 54-hectare Village is located 7km North of Central Paris and will have three main areas (Olympic Village Plazza, a residential area around the Cité du Cinéma, and an operational area). For the first time in history, the Olympic Village will come with a nursery (the Family Space) where parent-athletes can spend time with their children and also take care of the infants who require their parents’ extensive attention.

A hotel, a three-hectare landscaped park, and seven hectares of gardens and parks will ensure all the breathing space for the athletes while also providing them with 3,200 sqm of neighborhood shops for their daily necessities. The visiting athletes can also train for seven sports within the Village premises (basketball, basketball 3×3, breaking, handball, fencing, weightlifting, and wrestling) in eight training centers. 12 laundries, a 3,500 m² polyclinic, and 800 square meters of entertainment space will also add to the athletes’ benefits in Paris.

Now, as the first batches of athletes have started pouring into the French capital, it remains to be seen if the luxuries offered at the Olympic Village would help the stars to bring out their A-games in the coming weeks as they put forward their bid to clinch a place on the podium at the biggest sporting event of the year.