Medals in self-service mode

The display is beautifully decorated and looks really tempting. And it's not like before that you have to wait before some official comes and you bow your neck submissively so that the medal can be hung around your neck. That was the case before. Now it's Corona. For a long time, by the way, which is why good athletes have long been used to the following exercise: They grab the symbol of success and also grab the corresponding mascot or flowers. The man is himself, and of course the woman is too. For the viewer, this takes some getting used to.

It has so little dignity, as if all you had to do was grab it. Everything is there. But in order to get into this position, you simply have to be at your best on the most important day of your sporting life. And that never works for everyone. And there is currently a huge level of uncertainty that has never been seen on this scale before. Because as I said: Now it’s Corona. Some who would have liked to collect medals and were actually ready for it were simply thwarted by the virus. A tick in the wrong place. Positive instead of negative and you're ready to go to the quarantine hotel. That sounds so horrible. If you say it slowly and emphatically: quarantine hotel. No hut fun That's when you know that this Olympic adventure is now in jeopardy, because this isn't exactly a dream location. No hut fun with Kaiserschmarrn and mulled wine. The same food three times a day, always at the same time. No swaying, just cruel loneliness. Alcatraz, on the other hand, was probably a luxury barn. After all, people rebelled. Completely official. The infected people have now been moved to another hotel with larger rooms. However, little has changed in terms of the circumstances, even if the Internet is now supposed to run smoothly and is perhaps not even checked, although that is probably a daydream. In Beijing and the outstations for the sporting decisions, there are futuristic balls hanging on every corner. These are quiet, calm and yet constantly attentive spies. China's eyes are everywhere and, of course, not only watch the sporting activities but also the actions that take place behind the finish line. There the corona measures are reduced to absurdity because, fortunately, emotions take precedence over everything.

When Johannes Thingnes Boe won the finish sprint for Norway in the mixed relay in the biathlon against the Frenchman Quentin Fillon-Maillet, his brother Tarjei could no longer be stopped. He threw his arms around Johannes' neck intensely, the girls from the team joined him and then they formed a circle, hugged each other and enjoyed the big moment. Johannes would have had to be isolated immediately after crossing the finish line. He was half corona-damaged because he was on the plane with an infected compatriot. Johannes was therefore a “persecuted person”, was isolated from the team, was no longer allowed to train with the team, but was at least allowed to take part in the Olympic competition. And after the successful race, the isolation was just a farce because the people celebrating could no longer be separated.

The award ceremony was therefore a sad affair because Johannes had to keep his distance from his fellow competitors. So he stood alone on the podium next to Eckhoff, Roeiseland and his brother Tarjei, as if he didn't belong there. And on one of the biggest days of his life. That was embarrassing. Not for Johannes, but for those who think they can outwit the virus with such regulations. This was also a problem for the photographers, because everyone who was involved in the victory should be in the picture. This distance rule at the award ceremony is an arrangement that is intended to demonstrate to the outside world how well we have everything under control regarding Corona. It's a fig leaf. I'm curious to see how they do it at the ice hockey award ceremony later. The situation is similar at other competition venues, actually the same everywhere and unavoidable. Fortunately. After his bronze medal in tobogganing, Dominik Filehner also let himself fall relaxed and happy into the arms of all the supervisors and trainers. Good thing, because these moments are the ones that are unique and unforgettable.

And it can also be seen that the intensity of the celebration is much greater than at a normal World Cup victory. Even winning a world championship pales in comparison to an Olympic medal. Whoever is on the podium rightly sees themselves as the winner. For Fischnitzer, bronze is easily worth as much as gold and he, like Ludwig and the others, will also be happy that this damned virus passed them by without bothering them. In contrast to unfortunately many others, they were able to hold their competition. The current images that we are currently receiving from Beijing also make one thing clear: Despite all the concerns and problems, it was good and right to hold these Olympic Games now and not to give in to the virus by canceling them, because who knows what the situation will be like will be next year. You can therefore easily accept that you have to take the medals from the tray yourself.

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Medals in self-service mode

The corona virus is also leading to strange regulations at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Fortunately, this doesn't slow down the intense emotions. Our columnist Sigi Heinrich was able to determine this after Dominik Filehner won the bronze medal.

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