Quarantined Olympic Athlete’s State They Are Living Under Dreadful Conditions 

By: Mascha Cenia, Social Media Editor, The Pawprint

BEIJING –- The 2022 Beijing Olympics have received many complaints from athletes about horrible conditions after being forced to isolate after being tested positive for Covid-19.  

Officials have created a set of restrictions to prevent COVID-19 from spreading during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. This will be the second Olympics since the pandemic began, and it will take place from February 3 through February 20. Olympic athletes who test positive for Covid-19 must quarantine alone. In addition, to prevent quarantine, all athletes must be properly vaccinated at least 14 days before arriving in Beijing, according to the Olympic rulebook. Anyone who has not been vaccinated must wait 21 days in Beijing before being allowed to enter the closed-loop system. Regardless of vaccination status, all athletes and employees must undergo two PCR tests within 96 hours of their trip to China, at least 24 hours apart.

In the so-called quarantine hotels put up by Chinese officials, team officials from Germany, Belgium, and Russia reported their players are suffering nightmare scenarios such as low to no internet access, lousy food, and no training equipment. Athletes aiming to stay in peak form before a competition face a number of challenges, including a lack of access to workout equipment and difficulty communicating with their teams.

A Russian biathlon competitor Valeria Vasnetsova posted on Instagram; “My stomach hurts, I’m very pale and I have huge black circles around my eyes. I want all this to end. I cry every day. I’m very tired.” Since the post, her account has been private. Unable to compete, she said she ate pasta, orange sauce, beef, and potatoes for five days in a row for breakfast, lunch, and supper. 

A three-time German Nordic combined gold champion, Eric Frenzel, also tested positive. The accommodation conditions for Germany’s delegation, according to Dirk Schimmelpfennig, were “unreasonable.” The quarters were cramped and unsanitary, and food supplies were infrequent, according to NPR news. 

Given these high-profile allegations, Olympic organizers rushed to address the issues. “That should have never occurred,” the Olympic Games executive director, Christophe Dubi, said Sunday, referring specifically to the Frenzel issue. Dubi stated that he and other organizers are trying to resolve any issues that may arise in separating athletes and their teams.