Two of Norway’s skiers in the national team bound for the Olympics in Beijing have wound up stuck in isolation at their training camp’s hotel in the Italian Alps, after both tested positive for the Corona virus. One of Norway’s coaches for the men’s team also tested positive, raising uncertainty for all his close contacts, too.
Team officials still think both cross-country skiers Heidi Weng and Anne Kjersti Kalvå will be able to join their fellow Norwegian athletes in Beijing, if later than expected. Others think both “need to just forget” competing in the Winter Olympics. Not only do they face 10 days in isolation at their hotel, both will miss out on important training sessions in advance of races set for both February 5 and 20.
“I have to admit that time is not on our side,” women’s skiing coach Ola Vigen Hattestad told reporters on Wednesday. “We’ll just have to see how things develop.”
Members of the men’s team, meanwhile, were waiting for various test results themselves after coach Arild Monsen tested positive after returning to Norway from the training camp in Seiser Alm. The skiers’ departure for Beijing was delayed until January 31.
newsinenglish.no staff
