It’s the question that everyone is asking in the Olympic Village: How are the beds?
After reports and much criticism during the Summer Olympics in both Paris and Tokyo that the beds in the athletes housing units were made from cardboard, one intrepid competitor has shared how the sleeping arrangements in Italy stack up.
British ice dancer Phebe Bekker posted a video on social media after arriving at the Olympic Village in Milan this week and got straight to the nitty-gritty.
In the clip, she enters her room and seeks to “answer the question everybody’s asking.”
She walks up to the bed and gives the frame a knock to confirm that it is made out of wood, saying it’s “looking good.”
The British competitor filmed herself knocking on the sturdy frame before declaring, “We’re looking good.”
She then pressed down on bedding to confirm “that is a mattress” before letting out a jubilant “Whoa!”
“Heard it here first: There are no cardboard beds — well, as far as I know,” she concludes the clip.
Bekker – who is making her Olympic debut in Milano-Cortina alongside partner James Hernandez — also shared a video news report by Brut on her Instagram Story, adding a caption saying: “I’m glad I’ve been a helpful inside source” with a crying laughing emoji.
Why use cardboard beds?
The idea of using cardboard furniture was introduced during the Summer Games in Tokyo, which took place in 2021. It was a decision that was said to help make the event more environmentally friendly.
There also was speculation that with the cardboard beds would prevent athletes from engaging in extra-curricular activities in the dorms, which was a big concern considering the Games had already been delayed a year by due to the COVID-19 pandemic and many safety measures – including an “intimacy ban” — were put in place.
The 2024 Games in Paris continued the idea of using bed frames made from cardboard, though the many pandemic-era restrictions had been lifted.
How big are the Olympic Villages?
The Olympic Village officially opened on Jan. 30, one week before this Friday’s Opening Ceremonies.
The Village located in Milan is set to house 1,700 athletes and staff from around the world during the competitions. It was built by a private developer and is planned to be converted into student housing after the Paralympic Games next month.
A temporary Athletes Village also has been constructed in Cortina d’Ampezzo which is made up of 377 mobile homes.