– It was not a situation I had seen coming, and when it came it was a bit like “oh, are we here again?”, Says Karsten Warholm to news. He has done his utmost to heal the injury in the thigh before the start of the World Cup, but on the run-up side, the coronavirus has appeared as a last hurdle before the World Cup. With a positive test now, the superstar can throw all of the World Cup preparations in the bucket. – It creates an extra challenge on the whole, especially when there is so much infection in the team, says Warholm, who reveals that he was infected with coronary heart disease in February. Now four in Norway’s support apparatus are infected. On Tuesday, Hedda Hynne, as the first Norwegian athlete, passed a positive test. Cages in a “camp” Doctor Ove Talsnes has hectic days to get the Norwegian athletes to start, especially considering that almost all World Cup athletes live in the same area. People from all over the world gather in a fairly small area just outside the World Cup arena in Eugene. MUCH TO DO: National team doctor Ove Talsnes pictured two days before the start of the World Cup in Eugene. Photo: Håvard Greger Hagen / news – It is challenging. There are some guidelines with practitioners, tenants and technical staff, and there are very few who follow them. We do it, unfortunately not everyone does it, says national team doctor Talsnes to news. He describes the bus situation during the World Cup as a “camp”. – There is a common dining room, and it is very challenging. There is a lot of mingling that we obviously try to avoid. We have an extremely large consumption of face masks and hand washing, says Talsnes. Eivind Henriksen and the sledge throwers are the first to be in action in the WC. He has noticed a solid change in behavior since both the championship and the coronavirus have approached. He meets news at a press conference just outside one of the dining halls Talsnes fears. OUTDOORS: The restaurant has seating both inside and out and gathers practitioners, tenants and support staff from all over the world. Photo: Jørund Wessel Carlsen / news – I thought we were done with covid, and sat on the plane without a mask and «tjoho». Then comes the first positive test and then it’s right on with a face mask, distance and then of course you have to take extra care. Especially here, which not many people care about, he says and points around. – What do you mean by that? – There are not very many with face masks in the dining halls, people walk close to each other. It’s their choice, I have to stay away, says the silver medalist last year in the Olympic sledgehammer competition. Meiner Norway is the strictest World Cup arena located on the university campus in Eugene, and the athletes live in the houses around the arena. Eugene is a relatively small town, and it is therefore impossible to find alternative housing in the vicinity. Therefore, the national team doctor or the Norwegian athletes do not have the opportunity to do more than they have done so far. – We must pay attention to the framework we have, then we can be satisfied or dissatisfied with it, says Talsnes. – Norway is the strictest in the class? – We are enough. We are very strict, and have our own guidelines as well. FOOD: Behind the doors you will find one of several dining halls that will be used during the World Cup in athletics. They are reprimanded by Norway’s chief physician. Photo: JØRUND WESSEL CARLSEN / news
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