Players Run to the Bed 'Kkeongchung Kkeongchung'... Cardboard Challenge Begins [Paris Olympics]

Improved to Withstand Up to 250kg
Performance Tested by Jumping and Tapping Directly

The cardboard beds in the Olympic Village, which became a hot topic at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, have been provided again at the 2024 Paris Olympics, sparking the 'Cardboard Bed Challenge' among athletes once more. This is a kind of game where athletes test the durability of the beds by jumping on them and more.

Thomas Daly checking the performance of the cardboard bed for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
[Image source=Instagram capture]

On the 23rd (local time), foreign media including the US NBC reported that athletes participating in the Olympics ahead of the opening ceremony took part in testing the cardboard beds provided in the Paris Olympic Village. The cardboard beds were introduced by the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee with the motto of an eco-friendly event. At that time, the cardboard beds were designed to withstand a load of 200 kg, but controversy spread that it would be difficult to support the weight of two people, leading to ridicule as 'beds to prevent sexual activity.' Because of this, videos of athletes staying in the village performing various performance tests went viral, establishing the so-called 'Cardboard Bed Challenge.' Meanwhile, the cardboard beds were improved to withstand up to 250 kg and supplied to the Paris Olympic Village, and athletes are once again challenging the durability tests.

Jumping, running, even diving... The Olympic Village is abuzz with the 'Cardboard Bed Durability Challenge'

Thomas Daly checking the performance of the cardboard bed for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
[Image source=Instagram capture]

During the Tokyo Olympics, British diving athlete Thomas Daley, who was caught knitting in the stands and sparked a buzz on social media, posted a video on his Instagram with the caption, "There’s a lot of talk about the Olympic Village cardboard beds, this is the cardboard bed." Daley tapped the cardboard bed frame with his hand, stomped and jumped on the bed to test its durability, then smiled saying, "As you can see, it’s very sturdy."

Irish rugby players Jordan Conroy and Harry McNulty posted a video of themselves jumping onto a cardboard bed to test its durability. Conroy bounced off the bed, likely due to the firm mattress, but the bed's sturdiness was proven.
[Image source=Instagram capture]

Irish rugby players Jordan Conroy and Harry McNulty posted a video with the caption "A conspiracy about the Olympic bed." At the beginning of the video, McNulty said, "If more than one person gets on the bed, it will probably collapse," then got on the bed and shouted "One." Afterwards, Conroy jumped onto the bed, but because the mattress was hard, he bounced off and fell to the floor. McNulty burst out laughing, and Conroy pretended to faint for a moment before getting up and jumping back onto the bed. The two confirmed that the bed did not collapse even when they tumbled around on it.

An Australian female tennis team player wearing a sports band around her waist running on a bed.
[Image source=TikTok capture]

Australian women’s tennis team players also joined the test. They performed various strength tests, such as stepping up and down using the cardboard bed as a foothold and running on the mattress while wearing sports bands around their waists.

Hardness or softness options don’t matter... Australian team distributes additional mattresses and more

Australian water polo player Tilly Cons is smiling awkwardly after looking inside the mattress of a cardboard bed. [Image source=Instagram capture]

However, Australian water polo player Tilly Cons posted a video showing her struggle with the cardboard bed. Cons revealed the mattress of the bed, saying, "First night on the cardboard bed." The mattress was divided into 'soft parts' and 'hard parts,' presumably to allow athletes to choose according to their preferences. But Cons said she could not feel the difference between the soft and hard parts of the mattress’s filling. Her teammate said, "It feels like my back fell off a cliff." During the Tokyo Olympics, athletes also complained about not being able to sleep deeply due to the bed environment and expressed anxiety by showing torn beds. After seeing Cons’s video, the Australian team reportedly provided different mattresses and additional pillows.