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Agence France-Presse

Russia and Canada’s women’s ice hockey players wore medical masks on Monday for their Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics match, after Covid-19 test results failed to arrive in time, in a bizarre pandemic-inspired chapter to the Games.
Canada ran out 6-1 winners, but only after a delay of one hour when the Russians found they had no opponents to play.
“We were just waiting for [Russia’s PCR] results to come back and once they came back we were comfortable,” Natalie Spooner said.
“Our coaches and medical staff were not going to put us in a situation where we would not feel safe.

“This is probably a cool story in the long run. We can say we were at the Covid Olympics and we even wore a mask in a game.”
The Olympics in the Chinese capital are taking place in a Covid-secure “closed loop” bubble where everyone must wear a mask at all times – except, usually, when they are competing.
Everyone in the bubble must also have a Covid-19 test each day.




“Pursuant to discussions between the two teams, they both agreed that the match would start with both sides wearing masks,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement to AFP.
The Russian players took their masks off in the third period.
“The results came in and they were negative and they said they were going to take their masks off,” Spooner said. “We figured we had them [the masks[ on for two periods so why not keep being extra safe for one period.”

The Russian players said they had done nothing wrong and that they had their daily Covid-19 test at their normal time of 8.00am.
“It is out of our control. The Chinese at the laboratory, they were not ready to give our PCR test results,” Anna Shibanova said, adding that all the Russian players tested negative for Covid-19.
Her teammate Daria Gredzen said that “we did everything right”.

“We were preparing for the game as usual. We came out, did the warm-up and were about to go on the ice,” she said. “And when we already came out on the ice, we found out that the other team was not there.”
Shibanova said she hoped she would never have to play in a mask again. “It is not a nice feeling,” she said. “There’s not enough air.”
There have been 387 positive cases since January 23 in the bubble, according to official figures, among them an unknown number of players.


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Beijing Winter Olympics 2022

Winter Olympics: Russia and Canada’s women’s ice hockey teams wear face masks for Beijing 2022 match

Canada’s players during their women’s ice hockey match against Russia at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Photo: AFP

Russian Olympic Committee’s goaltender Mariia Sorokina checks her face mask during the match at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Photo: AFP

Canada’s Sarah Fillier (centre) and her teammates wearing their masks. Photo: AFP

Canada’s Jocelyne Larocque looks on. AFP

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Zachary Yuen will represent China at the Winter Olympics. Photo: Handout   

Chinese national ice hockey star Zach Yuen (right) in training at the Beijing National Indoor Stadium for the Winter Olympic Games. Photo: Handout

Chinese ice hockey player Zach Yuen was drafted by the NHL team Winnipeg Jets in 2011. Photo: Handout 

Chinese national team ice hockey player Zach Yuen at the National Indoor Stadium for the Winter Olympic Games. Photo: Handout

Chinese national team ice skater Zach Yuen’s kit for the Beijing Winter Olympics. Photo: Handout   

Head coach of the China Olympic men’s ice hockey team, Ivano Zanatta (left), with captain Brandon Yip, or Ye Jinguan, at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua 

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Short-track speed skater Ren Ziwei of Team China celebrates winning gold in the men’s 1,000m Final A at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Photo: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images


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China’s Zhu Yi cries during her performance in the women’s team figure skating competition at the Capital Indoor Stadium during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Photo: Peter Kneffel/dpa

Zhu Yi of China falls during the team event’s women’s single free skating. Photo: Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei

Zhu Yi performs on Monday. Photo: Xinhua/Li Yibo

Zhu Yi reacts after her free skating routine in the team event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Photo: Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei

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Torch bearers Dinigeer Yilamujiang (left) and Zhao Jiawen set the torch into the Olympic cauldron. Photo: Xinhua

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Sport

China

Beijing Winter Games 2022

Ice Hockey


Match delayed for an hour while Canadians wait for Russians’ Covid-19 test results to come back, before opting to play in masks
‘Our coaches and medical staff were not going to put us in a situation where we would not feel safe,’ Canada’s Natalie Spooner says



Match delayed for an hour while Canadians wait for Russians’ Covid-19 test results to come back, before opting to play in masks at Beijing 2022.


IOC (International Olympic Committee)

Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Coronavirus China