With Corona at the World Cup race: “I thought I would fall over”

The fact that the coronavirus is an insidious disease and can endanger even the fittest people has been known for at least since the Manfred Mölgg case known. What is not yet clear, however, are the long-term consequences that the new virus will have, especially in endurance sports. One who suffered from the coronavirus is South Tyrol's best Nordic combined athlete Daniela Dejori. She unknowingly completed a World Cup race with the virus and had an unprecedented experience.

The coronavirus struck at the historic World Cup premiere in Ramsau, of all places. After a strong jump, the 18-year-old expected a top 5 placement in her stronger sub-discipline, cross-country skiing. Instead, the woman from Val Gardena was washed back after a strong first lap and ultimately finished in a somewhat disappointing 12th place. Dejori then struggled with her cross-country skiing performance and didn't know what was happening to her. “It was incredibly hard and I don’t know why. Nothing happened, I saw black and thought I was going to fall over,” she sums up. She was actually in good shape. First negative, then positive But first things first: The competition took place on Friday, December 18th. On Monday of the same week, the entire Italian team underwent a PCR test in Bolzano. Because these were negative, Dejori & Co. were allowed to travel to Ramsau. On Wednesday, the athlete from St. Christina suddenly started not feeling completely well: “I wasn’t at full strength, but I didn’t worry too much about it – also because I knew that I had only recently tested negative,” says the Gardena woman. What followed was the competition that Dejori will never forget, not only because of the historical setting.

As a result, she completed a rapid test - and was immediately quarantined after the positive result. A PCR test confirmed the positive result. Due to the strict protocol (among other things, the athletes were housed in single rooms), Dejori fortunately did not infect any of her teammates or coaches. What happened next? “My father picked me up in Ramsau. With two masks and open windows, we prevented me from infecting him,” says Dejori.

When she arrived home, a seemingly endless period of time began: she had to wait ten days before she was tested again. The result? Positive. A week later, 17 (!) days after the race in Ramsau, the swab was positive again. “I was desperate because the symptoms such as loss of taste and smell had long since disappeared at that point.” After all, after 21 days – as required by safety protocol – Dejori was allowed to leave the house again and start normal training again. However, she only received the negative test result on January 13th - almost a month after the first positivity.

A new marathon then began - namely that of the performance tests, which have still not been completed. “I have to renew the sports rounds, take blood samples in Trent and check the heart with an electrocardiogram,” says Dejori. The plan is for her to start again at a Continental Cup in Eisenerz on January 22nd. The World Championships are scheduled to take place in Oberstdorf exactly one month later. Although the 18-year-old feels fit, it is already clear that perfect preparation for the World Cup looks different.

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

With Corona at the World Cup race: “I thought I would fall over”

What does it feel like to compete in a World Cup race with a corona infection? Daniela Dejori experienced this firsthand and told us her impressions.

Suggestions

Comments (0)