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Ski jumper Andreas Wellinger
Photo: Daniel Karmann / dpa
Ski jumping Olympic champion Andreas Wellinger is threatened with the end of the Winter Games in Beijing after a positive corona test.
As confirmed by the German Ski Association (DSV), the 26-year-old from Ruhpolding tested positive during the journey to the World Cup in Titisee-Neustadt and immediately went into quarantine on Friday.
"What can I say?
The knee is better again, I had medical clearance and could jump.
And then the shitty corona test comes up," said a dejected Wellinger, who wanted to fight for one of the remaining Olympic starting places on Saturday after having recovered from problems with the operated knee: "Unfortunately I can't do that now, and that's bitter.
I'm in good health, I don't notice anything, but the CT value was just over the limit.«
Two starting places are still open
Wellinger, who was absent in Zakopane last time, should have started qualifying on Friday.
After the jumping on Saturday (4:15 p.m./ARD and Eurosport), national coach Stefan Horngacher wants to award his last two places for the games in Beijing, with Wellinger, Severin Freund, Pius Paschke and Constantin Schmid being considered.
Karl Geiger, Markus Eisenbichler and Stephan Leyhe are already seeded.
Wellinger won Olympic gold on the normal hill in Pyeongchang in 2018, but then had to struggle with injuries again and again.
In the overall World Cup he occupies 29th place this season as the sixth best German.
cev/sid