Corana policy puts skaters in a difficult position | Ice skating

In terms of symptoms, that problem – with the current variant – is manageable. The most annoying point for the skaters is that the consequences are still the same; a positive test means exclusion from participation in the event. “Because the riders from Russia and Belarus, among others, were not welcome at the World Cup, rooms became available in the athletes’ hotel,” explains Jan Dijkema, the president of the International Skating Union (ISU). “Those rooms are booked by people who are not in our bubble. They were asked to abide by our rules, such as daily testing and wearing a mask, but they were not obliged to do so.”

The contrast with Olympic Beijing, where the athletes and others involved lived in a kind of parallel universe until two weeks ago, could hardly be greater. It is a difficult situation for the ISU, Dijkema acknowledges. “Our rules are different than in the organizing country. In this case, it was Norway, where the corona measures have been released. At some point it will rub off. It is impossible for athletes to start with symptoms of disease.”

The last competition of the skating season will be held in Thialf next weekend: the World Cup final. The Frisian Ice Temple is sold out for two days. “The spectators there are asked for a negative test, that was not the case in Hamar. We will be discussing the further details in the coming days.”