2022 Winter Olympics status updates, news articles, etc.

stjeaskategym

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"There is a plan in place, according to the IOC, should an athlete who has tested positive and since recovered test positive again in China.

A medical expert panel has been made up of 20 members, including representation from the China Centre for Disease Control, the Beijing CDC, and five international representatives of the IOC, the International Paralympic Committee and Winter International Federations.

The panel will deal with each case individually."

___

"We are trying to put in place ways in which they can prove with extra testing that although they did have Omicron, they are no longer infectious and can be allowed into China," said Brian McCloskey, a member of the International Olympic Committee's Medical Expert Panel advising on health measures."
___


Stuff like this at least makes it sounds like the IOC is on the athletes' side and isn't looking to unfairly boot healthy athletes from the Games based on false positives. Hopefully all federations have the necessary proof/documentation ready to show an athlete's infection is old and no longer contagious. If anything, athletes who've already had it are far less of a health threat than athletes who could potentially get infected on the flight to Beijing, in the village, etc.

It's hard to imagine the IOC ok'ing a plan where China can kick out healthy athletes just because they have harmless remnants left over in their systems from old infection. They have nothing to gain by running an unfair Olympics. The journalists writing these articles seem more concerned than the actual athletes though, so hopefully it's true the IOC is working closely with the athletes/governing bodies to make sure any recovered athletes are cleared.
 
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Coco

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But they don't kick them out if they're positive, correct? I thought they had to go to quarantine hotel for some period of time.
 

skatingguy

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Stuff like this at least makes it sounds like the IOC is on the athletes' side and isn't looking to unfairly boot healthy athletes from the Games based on false positives. Hopefully all federations have the necessary proof/documentation ready to show an athlete's infection is old and no longer contagious. If anything, athletes who've already had it are far less of a health threat than athletes who could potentially get infected on the flight to Beijing, in the village, etc.

It's hard to imagine the IOC ok'ing a plan where China can kick out healthy athletes just because they have harmless remnants left over in their systems from old infection. They have nothing to gain by running an unfair Olympics. The journalists writing these articles seem more concerned than the actual athletes though, so hopefully it's true the IOC is working closely with the athletes/governing bodies to make sure any recovered athletes are cleared.
The IOC was more than willing to play along with the Chinese Government story regarding Peng Shuai, and put on the that dog & pony show of a phone call between her and IOC President Thomas Bach. They have no credibility when it comes to holding the Chinese government to account.
 

stjeaskategym

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The IOC was more than willing to play along with the Chinese Government story regarding Peng Shuai, and put on the that dog & pony show of a phone call between her and IOC President Thomas Bach. They have no credibility when it comes to holding the Chinese government to account.

You're right, they want China to look like a great host. But they won't look like great host if they kick athletes out of the Olympics based on false positives. Would the IOC really want Olympic stars like Shaun White and Mikaela Shiffrin tossed from the Olympics when they're already recovered and no longer contagious? That would weaken the IOC's product and make the Olympics look more like a crock. It seems they have a plan in place to prevent anything ridiculous like that from happening, but I'm not understanding the purpose of testing people who have already recovered and are no longer contagious so many times- 5 tests before even getting on the plane. What is the purpose if the person is no longer contagious.
 

skatingguy

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You're right, they want China to look like a great host. But they won't look like great host if they kick athletes out of the Olympics based on false positives. Would the IOC really want Olympic stars like Shaun White and Mikaela Shiffrin tossed from the Olympics when they're already recovered and no longer contagious? That would weaken the IOC's product and make the Olympics look more like a crock. It seems they have a plan in place to prevent anything ridiculous like that from happening, but I'm not understanding the purpose of testing people who have already recovered and are no longer contagious so many times- 5 tests before even getting on the plane. What is the purpose if the person is no longer contagious.
There's definitely some COVID-theatre with the Chinese restrictions - it's as important that they look like they're taking a strong stand, as actually doing something effective - plus Chinese nationalism runs pretty strong at this time so extra restrictions on foreigners will not be seen unfavourably by the Chinese people. I think we need to keep in mind that the greatest threat to the Chinese government is from the Chinese people, and pandemics/disease outbreaks have led to more than a few collapsed governments & revolutions.
 

Seerek

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As someone posted earlier, it could start to get somewhat suspicious if the positives are predominantly for events where China has medal contenders (e.g. any of Olympics poster girl Eileen Gu's rivals in halfpipe and/or big air freestyle ski).
 

BlueRidge

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There's definitely some *********-theatre with the Chinese restrictions - it's as important that they look like they're taking a strong stand, as actually doing something effective - plus Chinese nationalism runs pretty strong at this time so extra restrictions on foreigners will not be seen unfavourably by the Chinese people. I think we need to keep in mind that the greatest threat to the Chinese government is from the Chinese people, and pandemics/disease outbreaks have led to more than a few collapsed governments & revolutions.
I think the question is whether the Chinese government is more concerned with internal perceptions or external perceptions. I think they are likely more concerned with internal ones as you note here. And that may not be good for the athletes. For one thing, China has implemented severe lockdowns throughout the pandemic and have faced disgruntlement from the population about these. They can't afford for it to seem they are letting up just for the sake of foreign athletes.

I think they do care about external perceptions so I don't think they will toss the top athletes but they may chose to make some examples of people for the sake of the perceptions within China.

We shall soon see, but it does seem like a dicey situation for Olympic competitors.
 

AxelAnnie

Like a small boat on the ocean...
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You're right, they want China to look like a great host. But they won't look like great host if they kick athletes out of the Olympics based on false positives. Would the IOC really want Olympic stars like Shaun White and Mikaela Shiffrin tossed from the Olympics when they're already recovered and no longer contagious? That would weaken the IOC's product and make the Olympics look more like a crock. It seems they have a plan in place to prevent anything ridiculous like that from happening, but I'm not understanding the purpose of testing people who have already recovered and are no longer contagious so many times- 5 tests before even getting on the plane. What is the purpose if the person is no longer contagious.
"Crock" - perfect description! I feel awful for the athletes.
 

Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
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Athletes who test positive for Crud but are asymptomatic will be taken to “isolation facilities” and provided with “three meals a day” and other basics, listed in this new article. Those who test positive with symptoms won’t be so lucky…straight to the hospital!
 

allezfred

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I was in a taxi with a driver from Dalian who said that Chinese citizens travelling back there have to do four weeks quarantine at a government facility with PCR tests ever other day. The rules for the Olympics might sound strict to us, but they are pretty loose in comparison to what the Chinese authorities impose on their own nationals.
 

taz'smum

'Be Kind' - every skater has their own story
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For some reason I don't seem to be able to post a link to the CNN article but here is some of what it said

Already, C19 has been detected in recent Olympic arrivals in Beijing, both at the airport and inside the closed loop.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in a statement Wednesday that so far, 1.53% tests conducted upon arrival are positive, while 0.02% of regular screening tests taken inside the closed loop are positive. It did not specify the number of total tests in both scenarios.

"All cases so far are within 5 days of arrival and are therefore assessed as being imported (contracted prior to arrival in Beijing). No infection has occurred within the Closed Loop," the statement said.
 

Gris

不做奴才做公民
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Today's report:


新华社北京1月23日电 北京冬奥组委23日通报,自1月4日0:00至22日23:59,机场入境涉奥人员总数累计2586人,其中运动员及随队官员171人,其他利益相关方2415人。经海关检测后,复检新冠病毒阳性39人,均来自其他利益相关方。

1月4日0:00至22日23:59,闭环内核酸检测总次数336421次,其中运动员及随队官员175次,其他利益相关方336246次。复检新冠病毒阳性33人,均来自其他利益相关方。

"From Jan. 4 to Jan. 22: 2586 people have entered China by air, of which 171 are athletes & team officials and 2415 are other stakeholders. 39 people tested positive at the customs, all are other stakeholders.

From Jan. 4 to Jan. 22: 336,421 PCR tests were conducted in the closed-loop, of which 175 are for athletes & team officials and 336,246 are for other stakeholders. 33 people tested positive, all are other stakeholders."
 
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MacMadame

Doing all the things
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"From Jan. 4 to Jan. 22: 2586 people have entered China by air, of which 171 are athletes & team officials and 2415 are other stakeholders. 39 people tested positive at the customs, all are other stakeholders.
That's actually a bit crazy that there are approximately 14 "other shareholders" for every athlete so far. (Though IME putting on athletic events, not surprising.)
 

Sylvia

TBD
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NYTimes article (Jan. 23):
Excerpts:
“We are playing Russian roulette every single day,” said Brittany Bowe, an American speedskater. “You can take all the precautions, wash your hands, wear a mask, and somehow you can still get Covid. In my opinion it is luck of the draw at this point.”
Anxious about the unknown, athletes have taken fate into their own hands. They have shrunk their lives into streams of socially distanced training sessions and an unending blur of deep nasal swabs.
The snowboarder Maddie Mastro estimated that she had not seen her family or friends, besides her boyfriend, since November. Like other athletes interviewed for this article, Mastro said she long ago stopped dining out and had been wearing a mask at all times whenever she was away from home.
Nathan Chen, the top men’s figure skater in the United States, has been regularly spotted wearing masks during full-speed practice sessions on the ice before these Games.
The Australian figure skater Kailani Craine, nervous about pulling her mask down for even a moment, has been reluctant to eat even on lengthy flights this season, lest she make herself the slightest bit more vulnerable to infection, according to her coach, Tiffany Chin.
 

skatingguy

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That's actually a bit crazy that there are approximately 14 "other shareholders" for every athlete so far. (Though IME putting on athletic events, not surprising.)
Between all the IOC officials, and support staff, all the sport federations officials, and support staff, and then all the NOC officials, and support staff the numbers will add up quickly.
 

Sylvia

TBD
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Associated Press article (Jan. 21):
Excerpts:
Three weeks alone in a hotel room is hardly an ideal setting for a snowboarder preparing for the Olympics.
Patrizia Kummer, a Swiss athlete who won a gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, is unvaccinated against the coronavirus, so she is spending 21 days in isolation in China before the Winter Games begin in Beijing on Feb. 4.
Even though vaccine rules are strict for the upcoming Olympics, a few unvaccinated athletes will still be taking part.
Kummer said she doesn’t want to influence anyone else’s views on vaccination and thinks the quarantine requirement is fair, but also declined to discuss her “personal reasons” for refusing a vaccine.
“I had a bunch of reasons for the vaccine and a bunch of reasons against the vaccine, and in the end, it was like, ‘No, I can’t do it,’” she said on a video call from her Beijing hotel room, adding she is “not in a risk group.”
Austrian snowboarder Claudia Riegler is in a stand-off with her Olympic team, which is threatening to leave her at home if she doesn’t get the vaccine.
Kummer and Riegler are friends who bonded on a long drive home through the Alps when they were both turned away from a World Cup race in Italy last month for being unvaccinated. They wanted to ask for quarantine rooms next door to each other in Beijing before Riegler’s dispute with her team became public, and they did an online fitness class together after Kummer arrived in China.
Austrian news agency APA reported that Riegler has until Sunday to get her first vaccine shot or be left off the team. The four-time Olympian doesn’t want to be vaccinated after having contracted the virus over the Christmas period, APA reported.
The United States and Canada imposed vaccine mandates last year for their Olympic teams. The Americans said all of their Winter Olympians will be vaccinated, as did other countries, including Britain, Sweden, France, Italy, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
A few unvaccinated athletes will be able to compete without quarantining.
The IOC said a panel chosen by the Olympic body and China will rule on exemptions for medical or legal reasons. Examples include people who are allergic to vaccine ingredients, or who take medicines which suppress the immune system. Olympic organizers use the laws in an athlete’s country of origin as a guide to decide on exemptions.
Russian officials have estimated seven athletes — including some figure skaters — will compete unvaccinated because they are under 18 and weren’t eligible for any vaccine at home until recently.
A version of the Sputnik vaccine received government approval in November for use in children between the ages of 12 and 17 but is not yet widely available. Russia doesn’t let people under 18 receive other vaccines.
 

taz'smum

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Beijing 2022 eases C-19 measures for Games-related personnel - IOC

BEIJING : The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has adjusted its C-19 countermeasures, a statement from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Monday.

The changes include the threshold for being classed as positive for C-19 being eased and the time period for which a person is deemed a close contact being reduced from 14 to 7 days. The changes have come into effect immediately and apply retrospectively, the statement said.


It seems like the penny has dropped that if they didn't do this, it was going to be a 'shitshow'
 

Karen-W

Checking Senior Bs for TES mins...
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Well, with Omicron running rampant through the rest of the world, 14 days is just too long, so that's a good change.

Same with reducing the CT to 35.
 

Sylvia

TBD
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Breezy Johnson, the world’s second-best female downhill ski racer, will miss the 2022 Winter Olympics after tearing cartilage in her right knee in a training run crash last Friday.
“I’ve always wanted to win the downhill globe [season title]. I’ve always wanted to win an Olympic medal,” Johnson, a 26-year-old who returned from one of several prior knee injuries to race at the 2018 Olympics, said by phone from Europe on Monday. “So, to be in this position where I felt within striking distance for both until this happens, and now you never know if those things are going to happen again, makes it really hard. You just really feel how close you can come, and then it can all be taken away from you again.”
Johnson has been the top U.S. Alpine skier the last two seasons aside from Mikaela Shiffrin.
This season, she finished second to 2018 Olympic champion Sofia Goggia of Italy in each of the first three World Cup downhills. Then Johnson suffered a small meniscus tear in her right knee in a separate training crash on Jan. 8.
(Goggia crashed in a super-G on Sunday, causing leg injuries that will make it challenging for her to race at the Olympics. It’s possible the Olympic downhill includes neither of the world’s top two women.)
:(

ETA link to Breezy Johnson's IG post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZJUJcYP7Yv/

Sorry guys. I just can't.

I have to announce that I have unfortunately injured my knee and must withdraw from the Olympics. It was the pleasure of my life to represent @teamusa at the Games in 2018. And all I have wanted ever since was to come back, stronger, faster, to win a gold medal. But I crashed in Cortina the other day and immediately felt a massive crack in my knee. It was a large chunk of cartilage that is partially dislodged. I was given the option to try to compete on it. But I don't think that that is realistic or smart. I could do more damage and I certainly don't think I will be skiing my best.

I love the sport of ski racing and I wanted so badly to realize my dream of becoming an Olympic Champion. To bask in the glow of that sunset. But the reality is that the risks, and there are always risks, are no longer worth it.

This sport is brutal. Someone asked me yesterday why we do it. And at times like these you wonder. But the truth is that, for me, the feeling of racing is the feeling of being truly alive, and so I will keep coming back every time. Because that feeling of skiing fast is worth everything.

Luckily I've been a big fan of ski racing since I was a little kid. So while I always wanted to win an Olympic gold medal I have a lot of other goals in ski racing. Goals that I can work on for the next four years. Before I return, hopefully, to the hill that stole this Olympic dream from me, for another shot at that gold medal. 2026 baby
 

Judy

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Beijing 2022 eases C-19 measures for Games-related personnel - IOC

BEIJING : The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has adjusted its C-19 countermeasures, a statement from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Monday.

The changes include the threshold for being classed as positive for C-19 being eased and the time period for which a person is deemed a close contact being reduced from 14 to 7 days. The changes have come into effect immediately and apply retrospectively, the statement said.


It seems like the penny has dropped that if they didn't do this, it was going to be a 'shitshow'
No kidding. Seriously .. no kidding.
 

Sylvia

TBD
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79,979
😭 ICYMI, here's the link to the GSD news thread re. Kolyada's withdrawal (he tested positive before traveling to Team Russia's pre-Olympics training camp in Krasnoyarsk) :
ETA:
Excerpts:
However, Russia did reveal one athlete who tested positive and will therefore no longer be competing in the Games. Figure skater Mikhail Kolyada tested positive before his pre-Games training camp. The three-time national champion will be replaced by Russia’s own Yevgeny Semenenko.
“If any athlete tests positive for COVID-19, he/she will be reported and managed according to relevant requirements,” the Olympics media team said to CNN.
According to Dr. Brian McCloskey, chair of the medical expert panel for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, any participant who has tested positive in the last 30 days is required to provide five negative PCR tests before they are allowed to enter China. If a person is to test positive upon arrival to Beijing, they will be isolated until they test negative twice. [...]
If an athlete tests positive before or during the games, while in the Olympic Village, he/she will first be asked to retest to ensure the results are valid. After top-level Chinese and international medical experts evaluate the situation and retest the individual, if the test remains positive, the athlete will no longer be eligible to compete at the Games.
Symptomatic individuals will have to remain in a designated hospital for the entirety of their isolation, unless they can provide two negative tests during the isolation period. Asymptomatic individuals must remain in a designated isolation facility for the duration of their 10-day quarantine. If this period ends before the games are over, the athlete might have a chance to return to play, but with 12-hour testing protocols and consistent strict medical evaluations.
Note: The Evaluating cycle thresholds section is outdated -- from post 108 above:

CBC reports that the CT value has been dropped to 35 effective from Jan. 23 "in order to adapt to the reality of the current environment and further support of Games participants".
 
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Judy

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How long is the flights to Beijing? With a charter thank god. I assume Canada would leave from leave from Vancouver?

I hate flying .. not because I am afraid of flying … I get SO bored! Plus I can’t sleep 😩. The not sleeping on overseas flights is a big one for me.
 

allezfred

In A Fake Snowball Fight
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Sylvia

TBD
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Update on an athlete who decided not to get vaccinated (mentioned in excerpt of post 111 above): https://sports.yahoo.com/first-olympics-snowboarding-not-jasey-212417375.html
Meanwhile, it appears 48-year-old Austrian Claudia Riegler will not be going to the Olympics to break her own overall Olympic age record for a snowboarder.
Riegler, who also races parallel giant slalom, has the results to make Austria’s team, but the federation returned a quota spot that could have gone to her.
Riegler chose not to get vaccinated for the coronavirus, and Austria requires it for the Beijing Games, according to Krone.

Team USA, officially announced on January 24, numbers 223 (108 women, 114 men and one nonbinary athlete [LeDuc]):
https://www.teamusa.org/News/2022/J...tee-Announces-222-Member-2022-US-Olympic-Team
 

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