A week before the start of the Winter Games in Beijing, some French athletes are already there. The daily lives of athletes will inevitably be turned upside down in the health bubble with daily tests and draconian rules.
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The Beijing Winter Olympics will begin on Friday February 4. A week before the opening ceremony in the Chinese capital, sports delegations begin to arrive in China.
When packing his suitcase, Quentin Fillon-Maillet is already asking a lot of questions. The departure of the world number 1 in biathlon is scheduled for Sunday and the troubles will start as soon as you get on the plane. “Between the time of the flight, the arrival on site and all the protocol for entering the village with the transport, it’s going to be quite a long day.predicts the biathlete. Besides, you have to take water and food because you’re not sure you can eat during this period.”
China has implemented a much stricter bubble than that in force this summer for the Tokyo Games, with the ambition of having no contact with the population. Consequence: daily PCR tests and prohibition to leave the authorized perimeter. “We will have to be careful not to become paranoid”, warns Perrine Laffont. She arrived in Beijing on Thursday and will attempt the double in mogul skiing.
“All the energy will have to be put on the skis, and not lose any with this Covid.”
Perrine Laffont, Olympic champion in mogul skiingat franceinfo
So many restrictive measures that will inevitably have an impact on the lives of athletes in search of performance. “For example, I usually go skiing the morning of the race and there it may be more complicated with all the protocols for leaving the village so I will have to stay in the village”says Quentin Fillon Maillet.
These Games will definitely be special because never has a sporting event been organized with such drastic rules.