INTERNATIONAL: Safety measures are a pillar for the success of the Tokyo Olympics, but athletes are human and they have their needs. A video of an Irish gymnast jumping on a bed to prove that they are, in fact, OK for sex, has gone viral on the internet and received a response from the International Olympic Committee.

Beds have become a hot topic at the Olympic Village after Olympic runner Paul Chelimo tweeted that the beds, made of "high resistance lightweight cardboard," were made to avoid any intimacy between athletes. Irish gymnast Rhys Mcclenaghan then promptly debunked the "fake news", by jumping on one of the beds and posting the video to social media.

Olympic organizers in Tokyo have felt the urge to clarify things, pointing out that the beds are indeed made of cardboard and this will be the first time in Olympic and Paralympic history that all beds and bedding are made almost entirely from renewable materials. They’ll be recycled into paper products after the Games, with the mattress components recycled into new plastic products.

When it comes to Olympic romances, Tokyo organisers have distributed 160 000 condoms to athletes. They say the condom distribution is meant to raise awareness about HIV and is not a sign of encouragement during the coronavirus pandemic.