Calle Halfvarsson was named to the Swedish Olympic team last week, securing one of the last tickets to the 2022 Olympics after strong performances at Tour de Ski. 

Once the ticket to China was a fact, Halfvarsson said he was headed straight home, isolating himself and entirely avoiding human contact until the pre-camp departure. 

“I won’t even let my girlfriend visit. Only my two cats will keep me company,” Halfvarsson said during the team selection press conference last week. 

But when the Olympic team left for the final training camp leading up to the Beijing Winter Games this weekend, Halfvarsson was not on board the chartered plane to Livigno, Italy. 

After returning from Tour de Ski last week, Halfvarsson has reported upper respiratory symptoms and has postponed his departure. 

“Calle Halfvarsson has tested negative for Covid-19, but we are taking added cautionary measures given he is experiencing upper respiratory symptoms. Accordingly, he is not joining the team to Italy at this time,” says Swedish national team physician Jan Wall in a press release Saturday afternoon.   

Fearing Covid infections
In addition to Halfvarsson, Leo Johansson is also left out from the Swedish Olympic team camp in Livigno. Johansson is awaiting the analysis of his Covid-19 PCR test. 

Catching the corona virus during the last 30 days prior to the Olympics in Beijing would be extremely inconvenient at best, and could possibly ruin the opportunity to race at the upcoming Winter Games. The anti-Covid restrictions in place for the 2022 Olympics are extremely rigorous.