The Olympic rings in Zhangjiako, China. Photo / AP
The Olympic rings in Zhangjiako, China. Photo / AP
A New Zealand athlete was among a spate of positive Covid-19 test results in Beijing ahead of the start of this week's Winter Olympics before getting the all-clear.
The athlete is no longer deemed a positive case according to a NZOC statement.
New Zealand Chef de Mission Marty Toomey confirmed to the Herald last that an athlete in the New Zealand team returned positive Covid-19 test results after arriving in Beijing.
The opening ceremony is on Friday and the Games bubble has recorded more than 120 positive results among athletes and officials in the past four days.
"Entry requirements to China for the Winter Olympic Games are extremely stringent, as Games organisers work to ensure a safe and secure Olympic environment, a statement said today.
"In order to enter Beijing, team members must provide two negative Covid-19 tests pre departure, one within 96 hours of travel, and one within 72 hours.
"On arrival in Beijing all team members undergo an arrival test at the airport which is extremely sensitive.
"A New Zealand team member returned an initial positive test on arrival but has since returned two negative tests, as per the process, and is no longer deemed a positive case. The team member is feeling well and is looking forward to the Winter Olympic Games."
Speaking to the Herald from Beijing, Toomey who has been on the ground in China for the past couple of weeks, says it was probably a case of the athlete having had the virus and still shedding viral load.
"You do two tests on arrival at the airport. So you get a nasopharyngeal PCR tests up the nose, then you get an oropharyngeal down the throat, and that's combined. That's the gold standard measurement around the world.
"If your CT values are at a certain level you are deemed to be a positive and if you're deemed positive, then you go through a confirmatory test. So, another two tests over the next 24 hours, to actually just check to make sure that you are okay that you're a negative. And then once that comes in, everyone's tested on a daily basis.
"I guess the bit that's challenging for every nation, including New Zealand, that you have a number of athletes and support staff who have been overseas who have contracted Covid over the last six months, and they still shed bits of the virus and sometimes you can trip a result which looks like a positive but on retesting, they come back as being negative. So, every country's gone through it, including New Zealand."
New Zealand Chef de Mission Marty Toomey. Photo / Photosport
Toomey said it's been a challenging experience, but the athletes are used to travelling around the world to compete over the last two years.
"It's like a game like no other in terms of anything I've experienced. But the athletes are used to it, they've been traveling around the world over the last couple of years and have had to go through testing.
"They've had to satisfy the fact that they were negative before they competed so for them it's not new and they are probably quite relaxed about it. I think for those of us that are coming out of New Zealand it's a very different experience."
The Beijing Games has been in the spotlight for political reasons with China's human rights record and treatment of the Uighur muslims, in particular prompting a political boycott from some countries. New Zealand athletes have been told they can express their views but with a couple of exceptions: on the podium or in the media.
But Toomey says that doesn't include their own platforms.
"There are clear guidelines under the NZOC contract and the IOC contracts around when they can make political statements and when they can't, and they are definitely allowed to, which is a big departure from a long time back. No one was allowed to do anything.
"Athletes have the rights to express themselves and there's a couple of places where they can't and that's on the podium, or heavily in the media. But our athletes can definitely say what they need to say.
"We haven't had any issues with athletes wanting to make a big political stance; at the moment they know what they can do. When they choose to do that or not, we'll work with them as well, as they come out and say whatever they want to say."
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, Margaux Hackett, Alice Robinson, Finn Bilous and Nico Porteous are among the 15-strong New Zealand team in Beijing. Photo / Photosport
The two New Zealand flagbearers, one male and one female, will be named tomorrow night.
With the freeski park and pipe team not arriving until next week, Pyeongchang bronze medallist Nico Porteous is out of the reckoning. It's likely speedskater Peter Michael, who finished fourth twice four years ago will get the nod.
The female flagbearer is likely to be a choice between Pyeongchang snowboard bronze medallist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and three-time World Cup Giant Slalom skiing winner Alice Robinson.
"We have quality and depth of field in male and female athletes now. So the nice position is that if someone turns it down, maybe because they're not here or they're competing the next day, then the other athlete who steps up to carry that flag representing the country is a quality athlete anyway."
As for the medal haul, Toomey would be thrilled if New Zealand eclipses the two bronze medals won in Pyeongchang.
"I feel it probably was the start of this journey in terms of, you know, high performance snow sports athletes," Toomey said.
"I would love for the team to be able to come back with New Zealand's first Winter Olympics gold medal ... You look over this Olympic cycle and you look at the likes of Alice Robinson, Zoe Sadowski-Synnott, Nico Porteous. The names are always there, they have been winning world championships and world cups and many of them are going in as the hunted rather than the hunter for the first time.
"I would like to think we will beat the medal count from Pyeongchang."
