The pandemic continues to impact cross-country ski teams as they head to the Beijing Olympics, with a Norwegian skier replaced and a Swedish competitor testing positive upon arrival in China.
The Norwegian women’s team replaced Anne Kjersti Kalvå with Ragnhild Haga after Kalvå tested positive for COVID-19.
“We need to ensure enough athletes for the distances during the Games,” Gro Eide, a spokesman for the Ski Federation, told reporters.
Heidi Weng had also tested positive, but Eide said her situation was pending.
Swedish cross-country skier Leo Johansson was in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 when he arrived in China, team spokesman Lars Markusson said.
Johansson had tested positive before the training camp in Italy two weeks ago and went home to Sweden, so he did not have contact with the rest of the team, Markusson said. He had six negative PCR tests before leaving for China but when he arrived Friday, he tested positive. He also was positive in a second test Saturday, Markusson said.
There were no other positive tests on national team upon arrival, team manager Peter Reinebo said.
Reinebo said the medical team determined that the positive results are due to Johansson’s previous infection and that he’s not contagious. He can leave quarantine after having two negative tests at 24-hour intervals.
According to the rules, those who sat near Johansson during the trip to China will be classified as close contacts, Markusson said. They are Marcus Grate and Calle Halfvarsson.
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