This week, the Swedish national cross-country skiing team gathered in Torsby for the first training camp after the summer break. But now the camp has had to be canceled due to several skiers falling ill with upper respiratory symptoms.

“Several skiers fell ill during the night with upper respiratory symptoms, including sore throats. Due to the current infection situation in the squad, the national team management and national team doctor Rickard Noberius have decided to end the camp in Torsby and start traveling home,” says the team’s management in a press release.

The camp was supposed to last until Sunday, August 13.

Six skiers

About six skiers have fallen ill, developing the first symptoms within an hour on Thursday night. 

“This suggests that they got the infection at about the same time. Presumably, it is an infection we were exposed to either on Monday or Tuesday,” says Noberius to Expressen.se.

The National Team doctor suggests that those who have fallen ill are likely to have a training break of a couple of days to up to a week. The team management will not say who the six skiers are for now.

“We will not go out with that. They should be allowed to come home in peace first,” says Noberius.

Neither Calle Halfvarsson nor Frida Karlsson has been affected by the symptoms.

“I’m healthy. Now I will go home and train,” says Karlsson to Expressen.se. 

Will not gamble with the health

The decision to cancel the training camp and send the skiers home was made during yesterday’s training session.

“We didn’t want to risk more people getting sick. The skiers have come to me and said that it is right to cancel the camp. We do the safest rather than the unsafe,” says National Team Manager Anders Byström.

Sweden’s women’s National Team coach Stefan Thomson believes the decision is good, especially when so many people fall ill at the same time and with the same symptoms. 

“We can only assume that there will be more, and then it is just right to cancel the gathering,” Thomson says and continues: 

“In that way, we might be able to save some skiers from getting sick.” 

The National Team training camp in Torsby started earlier this week. Athletes from both the A and B National Teams participated in the camp. The gathering has now been canceled, and the athletes are returning home.

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