On the eve of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China has promised the world "extremely efficient, safe and glorious games."
But just three days after the start of the event, organizers are facing a string of complaints from athletes on several fronts.
The Swedes declared that the conditions in the mountains were dangerously cold.
A skater from Poland says she lives in fear in the isolation ward in Beijing and said she cried "until I have no more tears."
The Finns claimed that an ice hockey player was being held in corona isolation for no reason.
And the Germans?
They are frustrated that there is no hot food at the ski resort.
Falling temperatures are usually a matter of course at games, but the Swedish delegation called for a halt to cross-country skiing events after athlete Frida Carlson looked shaky, had difficulty standing and could not be interviewed.
According to the rules of the International Ski Federation (FIS), competitions are stopped when the temperatures are below minus 20 degrees Celsius.
When Carlson competed on Saturday, temperatures in the National Cross-Country Center in the Zhangjiako Mountains, 200 kilometers northwest of Beijing, were 13 degrees Celsius - but with the chill felt much colder.
"We have the limits of the cold but I do not know if they also measure the influence of the wind," the head of the Swedish team Anders Bystrom told reporters.
"If FIS says it's minus 17 degrees and there's wind, and it's minus 35 degrees with the wind chill, what do you do then?".
The Swede called for moving the women’s sprint race on Tuesday earlier in the day because of the freezing temperatures.
"Skiathlon started at 4pm and Frida Carlson was completely hurt by the cold. It's not good that the sprint starts even later," he added.
Meal in Beijing, Photo: Reuters
Meanwhile, speedy Polish skater Natalia Malyszewska, who was forced to miss the 500-meter short track race on Saturday, revealed she faced fear and uncertainty in Beijing's isolation department after being diagnosed as positive for Corona.
"For a week now I have been living in fear and mood swings," she said.
"I cry until I have no more tears and make not only the people around me worry but also myself," she said.
Those in the isolation ward are allowed to leave if they are symptom-free and have two negative corona tests 24 hours apart, and Malyshevska was eventually released back to the Olympic Village - before she was told there was a mistake.
"People took me out of my room at three in the morning," she said.
"That night was horrible. I slept in my clothes in bed because I was afraid that at any moment someone would bring me back to solitary confinement. Then a message that unfortunately they were wrong, that I was a threat, and should not have been released from solitary confinement."
"I must return to the Olympic Village as soon as possible," she added.
"I can not understand it anymore. I no longer believe in any test, in any Olympics. To me it is a big joke. My heart and mind can no longer stand it."
More than 350 participants in the Games, including dozens of athletes, have been found positive with their arrival in the Chinese capital since January 23.
Many are still in isolation, fearing their games will end.
One of these is Finnish ice hockey player Marco Antilla, whose team believes he is being held in solitary confinement for no reason.
"From a medical point of view we know that such a person is no longer contagious, does not pose a danger to the group," said the Finnish doctor, "These isolation decisions are not based on medicine or science, but more cultural and political decisions."
Finland's head coach said the condition was affecting Antilles' mental health.
"We know he is perfectly healthy and that's why we think China, for some reason, does not respect human rights and that is not a good situation," he added.
Russian biathlon competitor Valeria Vasancova expressed her experiences from staying in a quarantine hotel, posting on Instagram: "My stomach hurts, I'm very pale and I have huge black circles around my eyes. I want it all to end. I cry every day. I'm very tired."
Vasancova's story, photo: From Instagram
Vasancova posted a picture of what she said was "breakfast, lunch and dinner for five days" - a tray with food including plain pasta, orange juice, a slice of meat, some potatoes and no vegetables.
Meanwhile, after the men's ski competitions were postponed by two days due to strong winds, German coach Christian Schweiger lamented that there was no hot food available for the athletes.
"The catering is very dubious, because it really is not catering at all," he said.
"I would expect the Olympic Committee to be able to provide hot meals. There are crisps, some nuts and chocolate and nothing more."
The IOC (International Olympic Committee) said it was aware of the complaints and was working with the Beijing 2022 organizers to address the issues.
On the situation at the Corona Hotels, the committee added: "Our hearts go out to every athlete who cannot compete because of the Corona plague. The protocols have been established to ensure safe Olympic Games for everyone."
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