Winter Olympics 2022 - Covid concern for biathlon star Johannes Thingnes Boe who is identified as a close contact
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Updated 03/02/2022 at 15:18 GMT
The triple Olympic medallist has been identified as a close contact of someone who has Covid-19, ahead of the first event - the mixed relay - taking place on Saturday in Beijing. Three of Norway's cross-country skiers and one coach tested positive for coronavirus at a training camp in Italy recently. Watch every moment of the Games on discovery+.
Johannes Thingnes Boe has been identified as a close contact of a positive coronavirus case
Image credit: Getty Images
Norway's biathlon star Johannes Thingnes Boe may be sweating on the results of coronavirus tests after he was identified as a close contact ahead of beginning his challenge at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The triple Olympic medallist is still able to train and compete, but they cannot leave their hotel rooms for any other reason, with meals delivered to them.
Norway, who largely dominate cross-country skiing and biathlon, had their plans thrown into chaos when three athletes and a coach tested positive for Covid-19 at a training camp in Italy, but on this occasion the instruction to isolate has come from sitting close to someone on the flight to China, who turned out to be infected.
Boe is due to compete in the mixed relay on Saturday, before defending his 20km title on Tuesday, while team-mate Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold has also been identified as a close contact.
But the way the instruction to quarantine was handled has been criticised by the Chef de Mission Tore Oevreboe, who claims the hotel manager knew about the situation before the team did - and says organisers need to tighten up how sensitive isolation is handled.
"He (the hotel manager) is a decent guy, but he shouldn't have had that information before us, it's completely 'Texas'," Oevreboe said, using a Norwegian expression meaning "Wild West".
"We got it a little later than we should, and that means we do not get the full and complete overview before we start with counter-measures.
"We cannot initiate measures based on rumours, which creates uncertainty. It's not professional, and then we cannot do our job properly. We want answers as soon as possible, so that we can initiate measures. We think (this was) too late."
Boe's brother Tarjei has played down the setback, though, and believes it could end up working in his favour: "He becomes extra alive when he has everything else removed and can be charged up. I think the competitors should be worried", he told reporters in Beijing.
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