Cold, isolation and absence of hot food… Disgruntled athletes at the Winter Olympics in China | other sports

On the eve of the Winter Olympics, China promised the world “simple, safe and wonderful” games, but just two days after the events began, tournament organizers are facing a series of complaints from athletes and delegates about shortcomings on multiple fronts.

A report by the British newspaper, The Guardian, said the Swedish delegation had complained that the weather in the mountains was dangerously cold, and a Polish skier said she had been living in fear in a secluded ward in Beijing and had “cry until her tears dried”.

The Finns claimed the ice hockey player was being quarantined for no reason, while the Germans expressed frustration at the lack of hot food at the downhill ski area.

The athletes were expected to face difficulties in Beijing as they are in a “medical bubble” system that prevents them from leaving the village except for training, competition or returning home. However, an increasing number of athletes today are expressing frustration and concern about other aspects of their Winter Olympics experience.

low heat

Low temperatures are normal at the Winter Games, but the Swedish delegation is urging cross-country skiing events early in the day after Frida Karlsson was seen shivering from the cold and about to collapse at the end of the women’s 7.5km + 7.5km ski competition. .

According to the rules of the International Ski Federation, competitions must stop when temperatures are below minus 20 degrees Celsius. -13°C but with wind the weather was cooler.

“There are limits to the permissible degrees of coldness, but I don’t know if they also take into account the effect of wind,” Swedish team leader Anders Bystrom told reporters. It gets to -35 degrees, what will the decision be then?”

Bystrom called for the women’s sprint race to be moved early Tuesday due to the freezing temperatures, and stated that “the skating race started at 4 pm, as the cold affected Frida Carlson a lot.”

isolation and fear

On the other hand, the Polish figure skater Natalia Maliziuska – who was forced to miss the 500-meter race on the short track the day before yesterday, Saturday – revealed that she experienced a feeling of fear and uncertainty while she was in the isolation ward in Beijing after she tested positive for Covid-19.

Those in the isolation ward are allowed out if they do not show symptoms, in addition to undergoing two negative tests for Covid-19, 24 hours apart between them, and Malaziuska was eventually allowed to return to the Olympic Village, but they later told her that an error had occurred.

Maliziuska recounts what happened, saying, “They took me out of my room at three in the morning, it was a terrible night, and I slept fully clothed in my bed because I was afraid that they would take me back at any moment to the isolation ward, and then I received a message that they are sorry and that they made a mistake, and that I did not I’m still a threat, and I shouldn’t come out of isolation.”

“I have to go back to the Olympic Village as soon as possible. I can’t comprehend what’s going on. I don’t believe in any exams and any Olympic games. My heart and mind can’t handle this anymore.”

Since the beginning of the participants’ arrival in the Chinese capital on January 23, the results of the Covid-19 test have been positive for more than 350 participants, including dozens of athletes, and many in the isolation ward are still afraid that they will miss the competitions.

Among those athletes is Finnish ice hockey player Marco Antilla, whose team believes he is being held in isolation without cause.

According to Finnish doctor Marit Valtonen, “From a medical perspective, we know that a person like Antilla is no longer contagious and does not pose any danger to the other team, which indicates that these isolation decisions are not based on medicine or science, but rather are decisions based more on the country’s culture and politics.” .

The report quoted Finland coach Jukka Jalonen as saying that the situation is affecting Antilla’s mental health, adding, “We know that he is in good health, and we believe that is the reason why China does not respect his rights for some reason, and this makes China in a bad situation.”

Pain and crying

In turn, the Russian competitor in the shooting and long-distance skiing duo, Valeria Vasnetsova, expressed her quarantine experience in an Instagram post, “My stomach hurts, my face is very pale and I have huge dark circles around my eyes, I want all this to end, I cry every day, and I’m tired.” Extremely”.

After the men’s alpine ski competition was postponed until Monday due to high winds, Germany coach Christian Schweiger complained that there was no hot food available for the athletes, saying, “I expected that the Olympic Committee would be able to provide hot meals, but there were only chips and some nuts. and chocolate.”

The IOC said it was aware of the complaint and was working with the organizing committee to address these issues.

The committee responded to a question about the situation in quarantine hotels, “We feel sorry for every athlete who cannot participate in the Olympic Games due to being infected with Covid-19, but protocols are in place to ensure the safety of everyone during the Olympic Games.”