Olympics-Gold medallist Frenzel’s isolation room unacceptable – German team

By Karolos Grohmann

BEIJING (Reuters) – German a number of Olympic champion Eric Frenzel’s isolation room on the Beijing Winter Video games is “unacceptable”, Germany’s crew chief Dirk Schimmelpfennig stated on Saturday, demanding fast enchancment.

Frenzel, a Nordic mixed skier who has received three Olympic gold medals and 6 medals in complete, examined constructive for COVID-19 together with crew mate Terence Weber. Each have been remoted since Friday.

The situations, nevertheless, don’t meet the requirements of the athlete and the crew, Schimmelpfennig advised reporters, with cleanliness, the standard of meals and WiFi an issue.

He stated efforts have been being made to enhance isolation situations for all three German athletes who’ve examined constructive, with determine skater Nolan Seegert additionally in quarantine.

“Athletes knew in regards to the difficulties right here. We stated it could be very tough to reach right here with out the virus,” Schimmelpfennig stated.

“We’re in shut contact with Eric (Frenzel). The resort room is unacceptable and there needs to be a change,” he stated. “We’re in intensive talks with the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) and BOCOG (Video games organisers) each on an operational in addition to political stage to get enhancements.

“The room needs to be large enough to do his workout routines, it have to be hygienically clear. The meals wants to come back usually; PCR checks carried out at instances that we’d like them, two a day. These are the playbook guidelines and we received a message from Eric that we would have liked to enhance them and we’ll do this.”

Greater than 350 Video games individuals, together with athletes, employees and media, have examined constructive upon arrival within the Chinese language capital since Jan. 23.

Athletes wanting to go away quarantine have to be freed from signs and ship two unfavourable PCR checks 24 hours aside.

“These lodges weren’t proven to us prematurely and we now have the scenario that the athletes rightly ask for enchancment,” Schimmelpfennig stated.

“The variety of constructive checks and shut contacts is at a peak. That’s clearly additionally an organisational downside for BOCOG and the IOC.”

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; enhancing by Clare Fallon)