The German cross-country skiing team will have to do without Olympic champion Katharina Hennig, Laura Gimmler and Albert Kuchler at the World Cup next weekend in Östersund due to positive corona tests. Biathlete Hanna Kebinger was also infected with the coronavirus.
As the German Ski Association (DSV) confirmed upon request on Thursday, the cross-country skiing trio has already left Sweden. Hennig, Gimmler and Kuchler had previously made their corona infections public on Instagram.
“Corona the second. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, go home and get well again,” wrote the 27-year-old Saxon Hennig alongside a photo in which she shows the test result. The 25-year-old Kuchler also published a picture of his positive test and a photo of himself with a mask and a thumbs down. Laura Gimmler posted a photo of the trio with their bags packed under the title “Covid travel group”.
Hennig and Gimmler took second place in the 4×7.5 kilometer relay at the World Cup in Gällivare, Sweden, last weekend. Kuchler was part of the German men’s quartet that finished third over the same distance.
Kebinger is missing in Hochfilzen
Biathlete Hanna Kebinger has also been infected with the coronavirus and will therefore be missing from the World Cup starting Friday in Hochfilzen, Austria. The 26-year-old Bavarian also made the infection public on Instagram on Thursday evening. “Corona flap the second,” Kebinger wrote on Instagram about a photo: “After I caught Corona in Östersund, unfortunately for me it’s time for bed instead of competitions in Hochfilzen!”
The day before, the German Ski Association had only announced that Kebinger was missing the races in the Alps due to illness. She became infected during the first competitions of the season in Östersund, Sweden, and was unable to start in the pursuit there at the end last Sunday.
Source: Sanny Stephan with dpa