Arrival to the World Cup canceled
CT value threatens Wellinger’s Olympic return
1/21/2022 6:52 p.m
In terms of sport, Andreas Wellinger is fighting for his place in the German Olympic team – but now the gold medal winner of 2018 is apparently losing his last chance. The 26-year-old does not feel any corona symptoms, but his test is positive. The end for Beijing?
Ski jumping Olympic champion Andreas Wellinger is threatened with the final end of the Beijing Winter Games after a positive corona test two weeks before the opening. The 26-year-old had to cut short his journey to Titisee-Neustadt for the World Cup and isolate himself immediately after receiving a positive test result. Wellinger actually wanted to use his last chance in the Black Forest to qualify for the big event in China (February 4th to 20th). But nothing came of it.
“What can I say? The knee is better again, I got medical approval that I could, should, jump. Then the shitty corona test comes up,” said the Bavarian in a first statement. Wellinger had to skip the competitions in Zakopane last week after feeling a stab in his knee. He has a CT value that is over 30, “but unfortunately counts positively,” Wellinger said. “Unfortunately, unfortunately, I can’t jump in Neustadt. That’s extremely bitter.”
Even more bitterly, it will likely cost the 2018 Pyeongchang gold winner one last real shot at the Beijing ticket. National coach Stefan Horngacher has so far nominated Karl Geiger, Markus Eisenbichler and Stephan Leyhe. The candidates for the other two places are Wellinger, Severin Freund, Pius Paschke and Constantin Schmid. Wellinger is not only missing the last test – there are also question marks as to when Wellinger will be negative again and how easy it will be to enter China. Horngacher said of the impact on the Olympic nomination: “I don’t want to talk about Beijing just yet.”
“I’m in good health, I don’t notice anything,” said Wellinger. Unfortunately, he just exceeded the limit in terms of value. “You can’t say anything other than ‘shit went’.” Ex-jumper and expert Sven Hannawald said on ARD: “Of course I’m very sorry for him.” However, Wellinger could still be considered as a substitute if there were further short-term corona failures in the German team before or during the winter games.