One Swiss and one Russian biathlete, as well as at least one person in the Russian national team organization tested positive for Covid-19 at the IBU World Cup in Oberhof, Germany, this week. 

The Swiss racer is Benjamin Weger, who is now quarantined. The Russian biathlete is Eduard Lapytov. 

The Swiss and the Russian teams are now under extended testing protocol, says IBU. Lapytov is isolated for 14 days according to German covid restrictions. 

Stricter rules
Recently, the IBU put into effect a set of new, stricter requirements regarding testing and vaccination. These rules are in addition to the German federal rules. 

The IBU now requires everyone to have a negative PCR test to enter the event’s competition bubble. There is also extensive ongoing testing throughout the competitions.  

There is no exception for Lapytov, despite being vaccinated and free of symptoms: He will not be able to train or race for two weeks. 

Dire consequences
The isolation period means that Lapytov will miss the Oberhof World Cup this week and the Rupholding World Cup next week. As a result, he may lose his top 15-spot in the overall World Cup, which could mean he will not be allowed to race the mass start at the Olympics in Beijing next month.