Based on its plan for the Tokyo Games, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) is confident it will be able to complete its mission in less than a month in Beijing.
The big challenge will be to get there. Before his two victories at the Tremblant World Cup last week, the hard worker Mikaël Kingsbury stressed that he could hardly afford to contract the COVID-19 virus, otherwise his participation would be compromised.
“My priority file is to make sure that all the athletes who have qualified can go to the Games,” said Eric Myles, COC sport chief, Monday afternoon. We have made every possible effort, all things in place, to ensure that we bring this world. This is the number one goal. ”
Several federations have implemented measures so that their athletes train in a “bubble” format before they leave for the Chinese capital.
This is the case, among others, of the Canadian short track speed skating team, 11 of the 12 members of which tested positive for COVID-19 before the holidays. The women’s hockey team was also struggling with an outbreak. Hockey Canada has canceled all of its preseason games between now and the Games. The players are due to meet soon for a closed circuit course.
“What’s a challenge is those who still have to qualify and who have to travel,” said Eric Myles. We have seen sports that have adjusted their plans to stay as much as possible in this bubble concept, even if it means missing a World Cup. ”
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE CANADIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
Eric Myles, Head of Sport at the Canadian Olympic Committee
The Canadian bobsleigh team had to shut itself up in Latvia after an outbreak that affected 14 of its members – 11 athletes and 3 coaches. Quebecer Samuel Giguère had to give up on a World Cup.
Smoldering since the start of the season, the ski cross team has also revised its program in the home stretch. Athletes will focus on training in a bubble at home. Quebecer Brittany Phelan, Olympic silver medalist in 2018, announced last week that she had been infected, but was no longer positive.
COVID-19 has also crept into the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team in recent weeks.
Without wanting to quantify the number of cases, Eric Myles recognizes that they are increasing, including in the COC mission staff. “I won’t go into details, but we have some. Everyone has it everywhere, whether in the staff, in the teams, among the athletes, etc. ”
The majority of Canadian athletes will travel to China from Vancouver on two COC charters on January 26 and 29. All travelers must undergo a PCR detection test 16 to 18 days before departure, in addition to the two tests required by the organizing committee 96 and 72 hours before take-off. The COC is also considering adding a check before boarding.
The idea with that is not to create stress, but to protect as many people as possible. We prefer to know than not to know.
Eric Myles, Head of Sport at the Canadian Olympic Committee
Full vaccination (two doses) is mandatory for athletes, which was not the case for Tokyo, where it was only strongly recommended. Several of them have received a booster injection in recent weeks.
A positive test in the next few days would not be a crippling obstacle to participation in the Games, said Eric Myles. “No, the door is not closed. There are still things we can work on with the [Comité international olympique]. Depending on the tests, the absence or not of symptoms. There are still possibilities. ”
He was reassured in this sense by the words of the IOC’s medical and scientific chief, Dr Richard Budgett, in a meeting with all participating countries last week.
In addition, the seats in the flights will be carefully allocated according to the links between each of the athletes. The same goes for the Olympic Village, where some will have to share rooms for two people in apartments for six or eight.
“A solid plan”
But from there, the sports chief is hopeful that the COC’s plan, modeled on Tokyo’s and adapted according to the Omicron variant, will hold up. Canada had not deplored any positive cases within the delegation during the Japanese fortnight.
Can Canada think of repeating the same thing in Beijing? “I can hardly answer that, but we really have a solid plan. We even have integrated disinfection teams. It goes in the details, right down to clinics to treat athletes to our weight rooms. I trust that, but I couldn’t say 100% that there won’t be. ”
Eric Myles was interviewed for the launch of the “Glory Comes From Anywhere” campaign for the Beijing Winter Games. It features eight athletes, including Kingsbury and snowboarder Maxence Parrot.
“Everyone is super motivated and focused on what’s to come. The campaign says: ‘Together we can overcome anything’. This is really the approach we have. ”
Despite the prevailing concern, the sports chief is convinced that the public will be won over as in Tokyo, five months ago.
“It was a wave that almost knocked me out when I came back. To realize all the impact and the effect that it had in times of pandemic. I am convinced that when we come out of those two weeks, people are going to be stunned again. ”