The IOC has finally decided to postpone the Tokyo Olympics until 2021 and many athletes are relived since they have been unable to train in their regular environments. Russian gymnasts, however, are still living at the national training center and keep training – only it’s not quite clear now what is the end goal, since all the competitions in the next few months were canceled or postponed.
Artur Dalaloyan talked to Sport-Express about training during the pandemic.
Q: What do you think about the current situation?
A: I don’t want to say some big words. Of course, it’s all very upsetting. Especially the extent to which it has gotten in Europe. It’s good that China practically defeated the coronavirus. I feel sorry for the people who have to fight it or stay at home. I think it will be a good reminder for all the people that it’s important to watch their health and everything that touches our hands closely. The most important thing is to stop it all, so that everyone would follow important pieces of advice. Together, I think, we can overcome it.
Q: Many athletes and even Olympic Committees of some countries are urging the IOC to postpone the Olympics and some even threaten to boycott it if it’ll still happen.
A: I think it definitely shouldn’t be canceled or postponed. In my opinion, we all need to give the maximum effort in order to deal with the problem, to stop the spread of the virus, and to go back to regular life – work and competitions. Everyone in the world has lots of things to do. To cancel or boycott the Olympics is not quite right and not very respectful towards the athletes and people who have been working for it. Japan did a lot, they built the Olympic infrastructure. We have to try to defeat the virus in a way so it would be possible to stay on schedule.
Q: Has the life at Round Lake changed because of the coronavirus and since, for example, everything is closing in Moscow?
A: There weren’t any major changes. The only thing was the increased number of prophylactic measures – to rub hands with alcohol more often. Everywhere – at the entrance to the dorms, at the canteen entrance, at the gym entrance – they put special devices that you can use to disinfect your hands and anything you want, even feet. At the entrance to Round Lake, they put medics who are checking the body temperature of anyone who enters with contactless thermometers that are now used everywhere and became very popular.
Q: Is the training center locked down. Or you can leave it and come back?
A: You can leave. You just need to put your name down in a journal and when you come back – check your body temperature and tell about how you are feeling.
Q: Did athletes ask the center’s management for something special because of the situation?
A: No, everyone’s content. Everything was already sterile before that. I’ve never seen dirt anywhere or, for example, haven’t seen the canteen’s staff use their bare hands to serve food.
Q: Are there many athletes at Round Lake besides you?
A: Everything is as usual. No one refused to come to the center.
Russia currently has 440 confirmed cases of COVID-19, however, the authorities are suspected of under-testing and hiding the real number of infections. Since Russia has only recently started tightening the borders and quarantining arrivals, the virus is likely much more widespread. At the moment, some of the athletes, for example, synchronized swimmers, are prohibited from leaving Round Lake. However, the artistic gymnastics national team made no such restrictions.
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Russia has 440 cases. Leave it at that, no need to have some link stating people think they are hiding the truth. No one knows, every country could be downplaying their total, or could it be..some countries actually have what they are saying…shocking isn’t it.
The more testing every country does, the more they will know their true figures.