Unvaccinated Olympic champion enters three-week quarantine
There is great criticism ahead of the Winter Olympics in China
The Winter Olympics in China begin in around four weeks. The approximately 3,000 athletes and media representatives have to go into strict isolation for the entire duration. There is criticism because of the human rights situation.
Quarantine before the highlight: Snowboard Olympic champion Patrizia Kummer does not want to be vaccinated. And she bears the consequences in order to be allowed to start in Beijing anyway.
Dhe Swiss snowboarder Patrizia Kummer will travel to China this week and put herself in a 21-day quarantine there in the run-up to the Winter Olympics. The 34-year-old has not yet been vaccinated against the corona virus for personal reasons. In order to take part in the games from February 4th to 20th, isolation is therefore required in advance.
“I respect the regulations of the authorities and the IOC,” said Kummer, who won gold in the parallel giant slalom at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. “Now I want to concentrate completely on my sporting goals at the Olympic Games in Beijing – I cannot influence anything else.”
Patrizia Kummer is already traveling to China
Source: dpa / Gian Ehrenzeller
Kummer has already cracked the national norm for the event in China this season. It has not yet been determined whether she will get one of the starting places for the Swiss team. The nominations should only be made after the Snowboard World Cup in Bad Gastein this Tuesday and in Simonhöhe (both Austria) next Friday.
Who is younger than 18 does not have to be vaccinated? IOC disagrees
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee made it clear on Tuesday that unvaccinated athletes under the age of 18 are not generally allowed to enter and participate in the Winter Games. “Every case of an unvaccinated participant in the Games who wants to travel to Beijing must be examined by the medical expert panel,” said the IOC. The committee consists of international and Chinese experts and is headed by an international expert.
The background is a statement by Alexander Kogan, General Director of the Russian Figure Skating Association. He had told the Tass news agency that all figure skaters under the age of 18 did not need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus before flying to the Chinese capital. You don’t have to worry about a three-week quarantine.
Kamila Walijewa (15), Alexandra Trusowa (17) and Anna Scherbakowa (17) will be at the start of the European Championships in Estonia’s capital Tallinn, which will start on Wednesday. The EM is considered to be an Olympic qualification. “In accordance with the recommendations and regulations of the Organizing Committee of the Games and in accordance with the laws of our country, minors are not vaccinated in the national team,” said Kogan.
The Russian Ministry of Health had only approved the use of a new vaccine against the coronavirus (Sputnik M) for children between 12 and 17 years old in November.
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