Mikhail Kolyada Withdraws from Olympics due to COVID-19

[TontoK]

I hope he only has the milder variant that seems to be going around.

From here, I speak with confidence and experience:

I have COVID right now. My symptoms are very mild, more like the annual sinus/allergy problems I get when the weather changes. My wife has it, too. Same thing. We're self-isolating as the doctor directed, but we don't feel like we're under threat of going to an emergency room or anything like that.

Here's what's different, though. We are very tired. No energy to do more than just mope around the house.

It breaks my heart that he (and anyone else) would lose their shot at the Olympics because of something like this. But I can totally understand why he'd have to withdraw, even if he was able to test negative before the Games.

I'm currently trying to psych myself up just to go retrieve the garbage can from the street. I can't imagine skating Olympic programs any time soon.

 

[dorispulaski]

Oh no! I was so looking forward to Misha having beautiful performances at the Olympics. May he heal soon!

 

[cisum88note]

Not for everyone, I'm afraid: "REGEN-COV may only be used as post-exposure prophylaxis for adults and pediatric individuals (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kg)"

This was also posted in August. The FDA has since revoked authorization since two of the monoclonal treatments are not effective against the Omicron variant. Although what Russian health authorities are doing is anyone's guess; they haven't submitted vaccine data to the WHO. The Fed certainly doesn't take COVID seriously. I don't think they'll be able to manipulate the tests Chinese officials will be performing on all the athletes daily in Beijing. It seems almost certain more skaters, Russian and otherwise, will end up withdrawing for Covid reasons.

 

[moonvine]

I'm afraid there will be withdrawals after testing in China, in which case alternates may not be able to get there in time for their events.

I don’t understand why all countries are not taking their alternates.

 

[vorravorra]

The coach from Mishin's team who tested positive in Krasnoyarsk is their off-ice coach Egor Cheloshkin.

 

[Ktriplelutz]

So sad to hear this! Wishing him speedy recovery, and as few infections as possible for all before the games!

 

[moonvine]

You're not alone.

I fully expect it to get worse. I’ve said before but will say again, the medal winners this year won’t necessarily be the best skaters. They will be the ones who have managed to avoid an invisible virus the best. 25% of all pairs had to withdraw from US Nationals. God forbid the same should happen to the Olympics. I’m so angry these Olympics are still happening. IMHO they should have been postponed a year.

 

[RatedPG]

Doesn’t surprise me too much. Russia is hosting a Junior Nationals with no guidance to prevent the virus from spreading at the event. Mishin doesn’t even cover his nose properly with his mask. Funny, how I don’t worry about Japanese and Korean skaters, catching COVID, as they take the precautionary steps necessary to keep themselves safe.

I always said the biggest obstacle to Olympic medals for Russia, is themselves.

Romsky, posted a video and in the video he is not seeing his girlfriend prior to departure to Olympics, wears a mask constantly and gets his parents to drop off groceries for him. It is not hard too avoid catching the virus, you just have to be careful and take certain precautions. Sadly, Russians aren’t as careful. So, this is what happens. I will be nervously checking this forum and hoping there will be no further cases.

 

[karne]

Poor Kolyada! The only reassurance - if it can be called that - is that he is also symptomatic, so it's not like he's just going to be sitting at home perfectly well and unable to go because of a technicality - he is genuinely ill and his withdrawal might have happened anyway.

But I am absolutely gobsmacked to read that the training camp wasn't bubbled! I shouldn't be shocked at Russia's laxness towards it after everything we've seen in the last two seasons, but I'd hoped they would take the Olympics a little bit seriously!

 

[NanaPat]

I don’t understand why all countries are not taking their alternates.

I don't think a country's Olympic committee can just show up in Beijing with more athletes than expected. The extras would not be accredited for the Olympics or accommodated in the Athlete's Village. They could, of course, try to make private arrangements for the extra athletes, but that could be very difficult and expensive.

Some countries in the past have made arrangements for the Olympic athletes to train before or between events in a location near the games, but that could be extremely problematical these days. Imagine trying to get training facilities/accomodation/entry visas for North American athletes to train in, say, Japan. It might happen in an "ordinary" Olympic year, but is extremely unlikely under COVID.

 

[Jaana]

The medal winners may not all be those we consider the best skaters, perhaps, but anyway they will be the best skaters of this event (as in all events)... If the Olympics were postponed, nobody knows how matters are e.g. in next year.

 

[iluvtodd]

Feeling crushed for Kolyada. I hope he recovers completely from this! Was he named to the team for Worlds?

Tonto, may you recover fully from this ASAP as well!

 

[eterialskating]

Well that explains why Mark Kondratiuk pcs just skyrocketed at Euros from 76 in Rostelcom to 90. COVID or not, Kolyada probably wouldnt make it because of the injury. So their top skater was gone and now Rus was left with a bunch of nobodies with no reputation. Which would have put their team gold in jeopandy against USA. So they pretentiously inflated one of them and now they still have a top male skater. I mean he literally went from a nobody to a supposedly top tier artistic skater in less than 2 months. Yeah he skated cleaner at Euros but if you are hitting 90pcs in your second senior competition I expect god like artistry

I see someone still can't get over the Sochi result. It's like a running gag at this point. That is not get tiring to wake up everyday with the same storyline and sob story on old news. No need to rehash the same tired faux scandal over and over.

 

[norwegianfairytale]

Stepanova and Bukin stays in Moscow until departure. Unfortunately I see Team Eteri is one their way to Krasnoyarsk this morning. Hopefully they are well aware of the covid cases and will very careful.

 

[Momtoiceprincess]

Just to double check so far it's only Kolada & a coach from Mishin's team that won't be travelling to the Olympics?
Oh no Fingers crossed Eteri's team avoid it

 

[norwegianfairytale]

Just to double check so far it's only Kolada & a coach from Mishin's team that won't be travelling to the Olympics?
Oh no Fingers crossed Eteri's team avoid it

Yep only Misha and someone from the coaching time. And then Egor Bazin, but he is just alternate though. But it´s not good either that alternates catch it in case they need to use it But rather a alternate then on of the athletes who are going...

 

[Momtoiceprincess]

Fingers crossed that's all, so bad it's happenening before they even leave for China but at least they can recruit the alternates now rather than later...

 

[lariko]

Fingers crossed that's all, so bad it's happenening before they even leave for China but at least they can recruit the alternates now rather than later...

They can only name alternatives from the list already submitted. Which leaves 4 guys, all of them in Krasnoyarsk.

 

[cathlen]

Poor Kolyada! The only reassurance - if it can be called that - is that he is also symptomatic, so it's not like he's just going to be sitting at home perfectly well and unable to go because of a technicality - he is genuinely ill and his withdrawal might have happened anyway.

But I am absolutely gobsmacked to read that the training camp wasn't bubbled! I shouldn't be shocked at Russia's laxness towards it after everything we've seen in the last two seasons, but I'd hoped they would take the Olympics a little bit seriously!

Exactly. You would have thought they care about winning medals, and not just treating skaters like a spares.

 

[cathlen]

Stepanova and Bukin stays in Moscow until departure. Unfortunately I see Team Eteri is one their way to Krasnoyarsk this morning. Hopefully they are well aware of the covid cases and will very careful.

Good for them S/B, but now I worry about T/M. Just hope Team Eteri cares more about medals than Russian Fed and will be careful.