With only a few hours to go until the start of the sprint relays in Trondheim, the Swedish cross-country skiing team announced that Calle Halfvarsson has been forced to withdraw.
He was congested in the nose when he woke up, i.e. mild cold symptoms. Then it's not compatible with competing to be able to perform. It also increases the risk of getting even sicker. We'll see how it develops during the day, says Rickard Noberius.
Svensson replaces
Halfvarsson was selected to compete in the sprint relay with Edvin Anger, who will now instead be accompanied by Oskar Svensson in the team.
We hope it's not a huge weakening, but it's clear that it's sad for Calle, above all, says national team manager Anders Byström.
Calle Halfvarsson has had a tough season, marked by back problems that forced him to miss several World Cup competitions.
The World Championship in Trondheim has not been successful for Halfvarsson either. As recently as on Tuesday, he competed in the 15km race where he finished in a modest 31st place.
Halfvarsson's World Championship may be over.
We'll see how it develops, but we're keeping our fingers crossed. It's always health that's in focus, says Rickard Noberius.
"Walking with face masks"
It's unlikely that the 35-year-old will be able to compete again as early as Thursday's traditional relay, unless the congestion disappears very quickly. Truls Gisselman is a possible replacement in the relay and Gustaf Berglund will join the team in Trondheim on Wednesday.
At the same time, the national team is doing its utmost to prevent further illnesses from affecting the World Championship team.
We'll try to tighten everything up. We've been careful all the way and are probably the only ones walking around with face masks in this dining room at the arena. We're doing what we can and have isolated rooms and can keep people apart, says Anders Byström.
The sprint relays begin with qualification at 11 am and the final heat starts at 2:30 pm. In the Swedish women's team, Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist will compete.
