COVID-19 hits Norwegian Olympic team

Two members of the Norwegian women’s cross-country ski team have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics, The Associated Press reported. 

Cross-country ski team members Heidi Weng and Anne Kjersti Kalvå contracted the virus while training in Italy. 

Team doctor Øystein Andersen said due to Italian rules, Weng and Kalvå are required to be in isolation for 10 days, according to the AP. 

“This is a shocking situation,” Andersen said.

During a video call, the team’s manager Espen Bjervig it’s unclear whether Weng and Kalvå will participate in the Olympics. 

“We have a reserve in the squad, and we also have other athletes who are accredited and can be ready,” Bjervig said in the video call. “But basically now the focus is on looking at the opportunities for those who have been taken out.”

The team’s planned departure to Beijing on Thursday is now delayed, the AP reported. 

This comes as most countries are currently dealing with a winter surge of COVID-19 infections as the omicron variant has become the dominant variant worldwide. 

The Norwegian men’s cross-country ski team is also in isolation after their coach Arild Monsen tested positive for the virus on Monday. 

Norway is considered to be the top nation in cross-country skiing, as its women’s team won three out of six events during the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, the AP noted.