Beijing 2022: Winter Olympics slammed by deluge of complaints from athletes

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

File photo of Frida Karlsson who competed earlier this weekend

Athletes have been hitting out at Olympic organisers, with complaints about freezing conditions and quarantine rules pouring in.

Beijing kicked off the Winter Games two days ago, promising it would be "streamlined, safe and splendid"

Some have lauded China's efforts to ensure a relatively virus-free Games.

But some participants say they are living and training in dismal conditions, prompting them to lobby organizers for improvements.

The Swedish delegation called for cross-country skiing events to be held earlier in the day to protect athletes from freezing temperatures - after Swedish athlete Frida Karlsson was seen shaking and close to collapse at the end of her women's 7.5km+7.5km skiathlon on Saturday.

Under the International Ski Federation rules, competitions are not allowed to take place when temperatures dive below -20C (-4F).

Temperatures measured -13C when Karlsson competed on Saturday, but Swedish team boss Anders Bystroem told reporters that temperatures were closer to minus 31 with wind chill taken into consideration.

"We have the cold limits, but I do not know if they also measure the wind effect," Mr Bystroem told Reuters on Sunday.

'I'm not sure I can handle [it]'

A handful of Covid-19 cases - including athletes and team officials - have been reported at the Games, with frustration bubbling over the confusion surrounding Covid isolation rules.

China has gone to great lengths to keep the virus out - barring foreign spectators and prohibiting tickets from being sold to the general public. Media, athletes and observers are being kept in distinct "bubble areas", with the rules saying anyone entering these bubbles must be fully vaccinated or spend 21 days in quarantine.

China's rules stipulate those who have symptoms will be taken to a designated hospital and those who are asymptomatic will stay in an isolation facility.

Those infected will be kept in isolation until they test negative twice 24 hours apart. After that, they will be released to re-join the bubble.

Earlier last week, Belgian skeleton racer Kim Meylemans posted a tearful account on Instagram, alleging that she had been bounced from one isolation facility to another.

"We are not even sure I will ever be allowed to return to the [Olympic] village," she said in a video. "I'm not sure I can handle 14 more days and the Olympic competition while being in this isolation."