Winter Olympics: Covid-19 strikes Norwegian skiers, US and Russian bobsledders, leaving their Beijing Games in doubt
- US bobsledder Josh Williamson says he feels ‘pretty hopeless’ but hopes to still make it to the competition
- Two-time World Cup champion Heidi Weng among members of Norwegian team to test positive
A host of athletes have tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, leaving countries facing tense waits to whether they can recover in time.
US bobsledder Josh Williamson was the latest to confirm he had tested positive for the coronavirus, but said he was hopeful of still being able to take part in the Games, which begin next week.
The 25-year-old first-time Olympian tested positive on Sunday, forcing him to miss his flight with Team USA scheduled for Thursday (US time).
“I have felt pretty helpless throughout this process, but I’ve also found myself laughing a bit at the situation I’m in,” he wrote on his Instagram account. “Isn’t it ironic that after 4 years of hard work, all there is to do is sit, rest, recover and have faith?”
The brakeman, who was one of a dozen named to the US Olympic bobsleigh team, said he would compete, if possible.
“There are later flights running to Beijing throughout the Olympics in anticipation of things like this, I just need consistent negatives to be on one,” Williamson said.
In addition to Williamson, two members of Norway’s women’s cross-country ski team have tested positive, as have Swiss hockey players, Russian bobsledders and German skeleton sliders.
