Mystery Illness Hits Winter Olympians: Star Athlete Forced to Exit Games Abruptly
Who knew that at the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, it wouldn’t just be icy tracks and fierce competition testing these athletes—but also their stomachs? Just when you think you’ve seen it all—from Lindsey Vonn’s devastating leg break to curling’s eyebrow-raising cheating scandal—along comes the German biathlon team’s unexpected battle with some nasty food poisoning. Yes, those dodgy burgers lurking in their shared accommodations have suddenly turned medal dreams into a stomach-churning ordeal. Imagine shooting flawlessly but running on empty…Talk about a cruel twist of fate! Makes you wonder—should Olympic diets come with a warning label? As these champions fight to bounce back in time for the next race, one thing’s certain: the race for gold just got a heck of a lot messier. LEARN MORE
A Winter Olympics team have had their medal hopes thrust into doubt after a spate of illness in their camp.
The events in Milano Cortina have already thrown up plenty of memorable and difficult moments, whether it be Lindsey Vonn’s horrific leg break just seconds into her Olympics return, or the recent cheating scandal in the curling match between Canada and Sweden.
Of course, those weren’t the only mentions of cheating at these events, with Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid choosing to reveal his own unfaithfulness just moments after he won his first ever bronze medal.
And there clearly seems to be something afoot when it comes to the biathlon, a sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, as now German biathletes have been struck down with a sudden illness, although it’s nothing to do with heartbreak.
Vanessa Voigt was struggling with illness during her race (Grega Valancic/VOIGT/GettyImages)
It was also after a bronze medal victory in the mixed relay that Vanessa Voigt, a member of the German biathlon team, was left bedridden with an illness, while her teammate Janina Hettich-Walz was forced to withdraw from the women’s sprint at the last minute due to severe stomach problems.
Czech athlete Jessica Jislova, who is staying at the same accommodation, was also forced to withdraw entirely and now it seems as if some dodgy burgers that were served at their lodging might well have been the cause.
In scenes similar to Lasagna gate (if you know you know), Voigt shot perfectly in her event but struggled to maintain the energy required, and mustered just a 12th placed finish.
German biathlete Franziska Preuss said: “We were previously six people in one apartment, and now we’ve simply split up again.”
Jessica Jislova was also forced to withdraw (Kevin Voigt/GettyImages)
Fortunately, it seems as if the illness is going to be short-lived, as an off stomach isn’t going to stop these athletes from competing for their country at this year’s Olympics.
Sports director of the German biathlon Felix Bitterling told BILD: “We assume they ate something that didn’t agree with them. It was only a problem for one night.
“For Janina, it was a night later. That’s why she wasn’t fit enough for the sprint. But our medical department, our team doctor, is very confident that it’s nothing serious.”
Preuss, Voigt and Hettich-Walz are all due to race in the Biathlon Women’s 12.5km Mass Start on Saturday, so will be hoping to be back fully fit by then, although I doubt they’ll be enjoying any celebratory burgers if they do manage to claim a spot on the medal podium.
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