Tiril Udnes Weng and Johannes Hösflot Kläbo have fallen ill with corona during the season. Jarl-Magnus Riiber had a hard time in the grip of the rhinovirus.
Yesterday, the Norwegian media reported on the corona infections of the country’s skiing peaks. Superstar Johannes Hösflot Kläbo had to leave Italy from his high-altitude camp earlier than planned and gave a positive corona sample when he got home.
Last year’s overall winner of the Women’s World Cup Tiril Udnes Weng gave a positive corona sample last week after the end of the women’s national team’s high camp.
Chief physician of the Finnish Olympic Committee Maarit Valtonen says that there is a lot of coronavirus going around now.
– There is a reason to be on your guard. None of the skiers wants to get sick when the competition season hits, Valtonen states.
He reminds that most people’s corona infection is similar to the usual flu.
– I’m not “bedridden”, but I’m not healthy either, Kläbo comments on how he feels Norwegian magazine for VG.
The competition between Kläbo and Weng at the dawn of November is threatened. The World Cup starts in Ruka on November 24–26.
– Beitostölen and Ruka are more uncertain than before, but we’ll see how quickly I can get rid of this horse shit, Kläbo told VG.
The Finnish ski team is Conscientious
Valtonen says that the aim is to avoid both the corona virus and other infections using methods known from the early days of the corona pandemic.
– It’s not worth going to crowds if you can avoid them. You should wear a mask if you go into crowds, the chief doctor gives an example.
He says that the Finnish ski team is really committed to disease prevention measures. According to Valtonen, the health situation of the Finnish team is under control, and the athletes try to act carefully to avoid infections.
– You can’t avoid everything and bad luck can happen, but skiers do everything they can to avoid infection, Valtonen estimates.
In Norway, the combined number one star has also spooked Jarl-Magnus Riiberin contracted rhinovirus. Riiber, who dominated the sport for years, will certainly not start his competition season in Beitostölen.
– I have never coughed as much as in the last eight weeks, Riiber said For the Norwegian public broadcasting company NRK.
The superstar of the sport started training after being sick in mid-October, and now trains daily. Riiber already had time to worry if the illness would ruin his lungs once and for all, when he had bouts of coughing in the mornings and evenings.
With these prospects, Riiber opens his season in the Ruka World Cup. He will see his family next time only after the World Cup competitions in Lillehammer in early December. In total, he is separated from his family for nine months in order to avoid getting sick again.
– It is heavy. I hope we have a nice Christmas and New Year together, the girl’s father told NRK.
Valtonen stresses that the Finnish ski team tries to avoid all infections, for example influenza.
– We introduce influenza virus tests when the influenza epidemic begins. The seasonal flu vaccine is very important for athletes and people in the background, Valtonen says.
He says that the tests are part of epidemic control, also for the coronavirus. Valtonen stresses that it is important to get tested even if mild symptoms appear.
– And if the virus is detected, the return to the team must be planned accordingly, Valtonen opens the whole.