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Simone Biles Spills The Tea On Controversial Olympic Cardboard Beds
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on July 26, 2024 at 9:15 AM EDT
Simone Biles has weighed in on the controversial cardboard beds at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and she’s not impressed.
These beds, made from sturdy cardboard and designed to be eco-friendly, have sparked quite a debate among athletes and sports fans. The goal is to reduce the environmental impact with beds that can be easily recycled after the Games.
After several Olympians showcased the cardboard beds in their room tours on social media, many people started wondering how athletes like LeBron James could possibly fit on them. Now, Simone Biles is adding her voice to the mix.
Simone Biles Admits That The Beds At The Olympics 'Suck'
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TikToker Dana Joelle made a video, asking Olympians to weigh in on the cardboard beds. "Does Lebron stay in one of those beds? Like Kevin Durant, can you even fit in those beds?" she asked.
After the clip went viral, a handful of Olympic athletes spilled the tea on the Villages, including 27-year-old Simone Biles, who bluntly stated that the beds "suck."
"BUT we are getting mattress toppers so hopefully it’ll get better," she added with a finger's crossed emoji.
Tennis player Coco Gauff also chimed in, admitting that, "Some teams do stay in hotels, but your own kind of federation in your sport will have to pay for that (I think). Some of my teammates are in a hotel. I chose to stay in the Village for the experience."
Suni Lee Gives Sports Fans A Glimpse At The Villa Rooms In Paris
Olympian Suni Lee gave fans a peek into her room on social media, and it’s pretty snug. Her video showed a tiny cubicle-style space that fits just two "cardboard" beds, each with a single pillow, and a closet that’s basically a small metal shelving unit.
Team USA's Olympic Village Director Daniel Smith also spoke out, telling People Magazine, "These beds are hard as rock." He didn’t mince words when describing the beds, calling them out as "literally just cardboard pieced together" to make up the structure.
He added, "They come apart in different sections," and even have "cardboard extensions for the bed."
More Olympians Weigh In On The Beds In The Villa
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Irish rugby players Jordan Conroy and Harry McNulty showed off the cardboard beds' sturdiness in a hilarious Instagram video. McNulty starts by teasing that the beds might collapse if more than one person uses them.
Then Conroy makes a grand entrance, diving onto the bed, falling off, and bouncing right back on for a bit of fun.
Australian athlete Tilly Kearns found the mattress to be "actually rock solid," even on the supposedly softer side. By Tuesday, she updated everyone that her team manager had arranged mattress toppers and extra pillows for the whole Australian squad.
Olympians Aren't Holding Back About The 'Minimal' Villas
One might think that world-class athletes get top-notch accommodations, but the truth is, their temporary homes are often pretty basic.
“I think people would be surprised at how minimal and minimalist the Olympics rooms are,” gold medalist figure skater Brian Boitano, who competed at Winter Games in Sarajevo, Calgary and Lillehammer, said, per NBC.
He added that the space is “maybe 6-feet-by-12 feet."
“You hardly had an area to unpack your bags. I always laugh thinking about the mattresses," Boitano said. "In some of the Olympic Villages, the mattresses were literally just foam. You think: This is the most important competition of my life and I’m sleeping on a foam mattress!”
Simone Biles Prepares For The 2024 Olympics By 'Limiting Social Media'
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After a challenging experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles is gearing up for a major comeback. However, she's staying vigilant about her mental health to prevent the "twisties" from happening again during the big event.
"Limiting social media and stuff like that is going to be (important)," Biles said on the "TODAY" show. "Insta is good. It’s a good way to connect. It’s a way to share what we’re going through. And TikTok. I’ve tried to make a little more TikToks, I’m not the greatest at that. I’m learning."
The 2024 Olympics opening ceremony will take place on Friday, July 26.