Next he has to reach an agreement on another series of protocols with officials in Norway, where the second event will take place.
Athletes will be assigned one roommate for the season, rather than rotating (a practice that keeps two skiers from getting sick of each other). They will have to take all their meals and coffee breaks in the hotel in which the team is staying. Grover is trying to figure out how to ensure athletes will be able to get some alone time without putting everyone else in danger. The usual visits to museums or cafes are not in the cards.
The risk is so high, he said. We are potentially talking about not just you, but the team and the whole World Cup.
The sacrifices are not small.
Jessie Diggins, the cross-country skiing champion, got engaged recently but will not be seeing her fiancé for nearly five months, and her family will not be able to visit at Christmas as they usually do. She has been working all summer with a sports psychologist about how to excel while only being able to socialize with a dozen or so teammates and coaches from November to March.
She and her teammates have been talking about making sure to be extra sensitive about not bringing the rest of the group down after a bad race, or carrying on after a good race if someone else has a bad one.
You cant read someone elses mind, she said. But lets be kind and courteous and support one another because we are taking our bodies to extremes.
Dunklee, the biathlete, said she was not sure exactly how she would compensate for habits she has long taken for granted. If she is supposed to limit direct contact with the technicians, how exactly will she choose the right wax for her skis? Can she stay sane and healthy trying to make everything work?
Its been an interesting year to balance what we need for physical health and balance the mental health, and make sure people are in a sustainable place, Dunklee said. We have to be able to live a life and do it safely.read more
Winter Sports Athletes Are Crisscrossing Europe for Races. Is That a Good Idea?
