In a recent press conference, Jessie Diggins succinctly expressed the current state of health and wellness precautions for pro athletes approaching the start of the 2022/2023 World Cup season.
On the one hand, Diggins said, she feels “a huge amount of relief this year,” after avoiding Covid and simply making it to the Olympic start line in Beijing last season. On the other hand, she expanded, “That’s not to say that I’m running around in grocery stores without a mask on; we’re still being very careful. And we don’t really want to get sick, ever, when we can help it.”
In that vein, here is the first entry in what will hopefully be a relatively short-lived series, surveying athletes who have withdrawn from this weekend’s races in Ruka due to Covid or other illness.
Iivo Niskanen, Finland, Covid
Ville Ahonen, Finland, “has fallen ill” [unclear from reports whether this is Covid or not]
Marte Skaanes, Norway, Covid
Ragnhild Haga, Norway, Covid
Sindre Bjørnestad Skar, Norway, Covid
Sjur Røthe, Norway, flu
Jonna Sundling, Sweden, cold
— Gavin Kentch
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