Winter Olympics 2018: Virus strikes top ski athletes before huge ski final
TWO Swiss freestyle skiers have fallen ill to the norovirus, becoming the first confirmed cases among athletes at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games, it was reported by the Swiss team on Friday.
A Swiss team spokesperson said one of athletes was Fabian Boesch but not want to name the other as the athlete’s relatives had not yet been informed.
The Games have been hit by an outbreak of the virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea but until Friday the athletic delegations had been unaffected.
More than 200 people have been confirmed to have contracted the norovirus, most of them security staff and Games personnel.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said earlier on Friday the two skiers were not staying at the athlete's village with the majority of the other competitors in South Korea.
It said at a news conference they were “unwell” but hoped they would still be able to compete at the Games.
The freestyle competition started on February 9 and runs until February 23.
More to follow…