Athletes arriving for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo will not be sleeping on the infamous “anti-sex” cardboard beds that dominated headlines in recent Games. According to a Team GB athlete already inside the Olympic Village, the beds in Italy are solid, traditional frames complete with proper mattresses.
That confirmation comes directly from British ice dancer Phebe Bekker, who shared a video from the Olympic Village showing the bed setup awaiting competitors. As reported via Bekker’s own TikTok post, the much-mocked cardboard beds are nowhere to be seen in Milan, as per a report by The Daily Mail.
Athletes from around the world have begun settling into their accommodations ahead of the Opening Ceremonies, reigniting curiosity about living conditions inside the Olympic Village. Bedding, in particular, has become an oddly persistent obsession after some recent Games experimented with unconventional designs. This is not the biggest controversy the Winter Olympics are juggling with, as some dangerous crashes have taken place before it.
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“Anti-Sex Beds” Became An Olympic Obsession
Bekker, who hails from Ashtead in Surrey, addressed the speculation head-on in a lighthearted TikTok video posted to her account. Knocking firmly on the bed frame, she demonstrated that it was made from sturdy material rather than compressed cardboard. The Winter Olympics also faced a bit of a snag recently.
The sound was hollow but unmistakably solid, and Bekker went on to show that the bed was topped with a standard mattress. Her verdict was clear and tongue-in-cheek. “Heard it here first: there are no cardboard beds. Well, as far as I know,” Bekker said in the clip. The reassurance matters more than it may seem. Ice dancing is among the first events scheduled at the Milan-Cortina Games, and quality rest can be a competitive advantage at the elite level.
Bekker and her skating partner, James Hernandez, will be aiming to make history by winning Great Britain’s first Olympic figure skating medal since Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean claimed bronze in ice dance at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. The fascination with Olympic beds dates back to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games, which were held in 2021 amid strict COVID-19 restrictions.
Organizers introduced beds made from reinforced cardboard, claiming they were durable, recyclable, and capable of supporting athletes of all shapes and sizes. However, the beds were soon labeled “anti-sex beds” on social media, with rumors suggesting they were designed to discourage intimacy between athletes during the pandemic.
The cardboard beds disappeared at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where athletes returned to conventional bed frames as pandemic restrictions eased. The issue seemed settled until the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics revived the cardboard design. Paris organizers framed the decision as an environmental one, emphasizing sustainability and reduced waste rather than athlete behavior.
Published: Feb 5, 2026 01:34 pm