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The Swiss Olympic team is protecting itself as well as possible so as not to miss the highlight of the season in Beijing.
The corona cases in top-class sport are increasing with omicron, vaccination breakthroughs are almost the order of the day. This is what happened, for example, to ski racer Vincent Kriechmayer from Austria or ski racer Lara Gut-Behrami from Switzerland, as well as to dozens of Swiss ice hockey players.
With the Winter Olympics just around the corner from February 4th to 20th, professional athletes are going to great lengths to protect themselves. Because if you get infected with Corona now, you risk missing out on Beijing. For ski racer Ramon Zenhäusler, the motto is therefore: “Watch out, watch out, watch out! However, it can quickly become contagious.”
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Reuters
Protect yourself as best you can
Marco Odermatt from the Swiss ski team reveals: “It looks pretty fun at dinner. We sit at around 20 small tables and eat alone, are accommodated in single rooms and wear FFP2 masks. » About 98 percent of potential Olympic participants for Switzerland are vaccinated and many have only just been boosted.
I think you just need a bit of luck not to get infected.
Nevertheless, the Swiss Olympic chief physician advises extreme caution beyond the measures taken so far. Patrick Noack says: “It would be even better to self-quarantine between 10 and 14 days before departure for Beijing and really no contact. Of course, this is a difficult task in the environment of other athletes, supervisors and family, but it is what is most useful.”
Some are already self-isolating voluntarily
In fact, personal responsibility is ultimately crucial. National ice hockey player Gaëtan Haas has been sealing himself off privately for some time now: “Actually, you don’t really have a life outside of hockey because the virus can attack so many people.”
That’s why – despite all the precautionary measures – Zenhauser is probably right when he says: “I think you just need a bit of luck that you don’t get infected.” Lucky to get through the last few days before Beijing corona-free and to be there at the high point of the season.