January 27, (THEWILL) – Beijing 2022 has refuted suggestions that COVID-19 testing at next month’s Winter Olympics in Beijing could be rigged, claiming that there will be “no room for error”
As part of a series of stringent countermeasures put in place by the organisers, all competitors at the Games are subjected to daily COVID-19 testing.
However, Snowboarding Germany President Michael Hölz has questioned the system, suggesting that test results might be tampered with.
“I doubt that we will see fair play in the competitions in China. It is relatively easy with [COVID-19] testing, someone can later say, ‘We’re sorry, it was a false positive’,” Hölz told a Snowboarding Germany podcast.
Hölz, who previously worked for the German National Anti-Doping Agency, compared the doping system to COVID-19 testing, implying that findings may be tampered with in order to prevent major athletes from competing at the Games.
“We know how the topic of doping is dealt with in countries with such constitutions. A comparison between doping and COVID-19 tests is absolutely in order.”
Hölz’s remarks come after Wolfgang Maier, the German Ski Association’s Alpine director, said that the COVID-19 testing system in Beijing was being handled “arbitrarily” in the run-up to the Winter Olympics, which begin on February 4.
The statements made by the two German officials have been rebutted by Huang Chun, deputy director general of the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee Pandemic Prevention and Control Office.
“We will ensure there is no room for error when it comes to COVID-19 testing data and results,” Huang told the state-run China Daily.
“Our testing laboratories are run by professional medical workers who received strict training prior to the Games. The results produced by such laboratories can well be trusted.
“It’s unnecessary for people to have any doubts.”
Athletes who are concerned with COVID-19 tests can submit their cases to the Beijing 2022 Medical Expert Panel for consideration, according to Huang.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
