There were rigorous conditions on departure for the Norwegian biathletes for the three-week camp in the Lavaze Pass north of Val di Fiemme.
The biathletes, who were in self-quarantine five days before the trip, will be completely isolated in their own hotel and have their own chef who brings food from Norway to the camp.
On the flight from Gardermoen, they had their own department.
When they went to the village, they wore double mouth guards and did not even shop in shops.
- I have received an infection control manual on three pages that we must thoroughly familiarize ourselves with. We have taken into account all rules of conduct, including self-quarantine.
We must not leave our bubble and not buy food at Gardermoen or any other place.
We had to bring lunch boxes with us for the whole trip, says Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen and explains that you must not take off the double mouth guards during the trip.
"Will not meet other people in three weeks"
- I do not think we will encounter any other people for three weeks and I feel confident with the plan, says Christiansen who has already had time to turn around in Italy on his own.
The Norwegian biathletes do not want to fall behind where competitors such as Germany and Italy use the high-altitude approach.
- Of course we could have trained well at home in Norway, but we had not received the high-altitude training.
Before the Olympics (Beijing 2022), it is important that we get to feel the height.
If we think in a longer perspective, it is good that we get to test those conditions, says Tiril Eckhoff, who finished second in the overall World Cup last season, barely beaten by the Italian Dorothea Wierer.
Should infection occur in the bubble in South Tyrol, the Norwegian team has secured with doctors and samples of covid-19.
- We see it as a test before the World Cup, says health manager Ragnar Hagen to NRK and says that they will share their experiences with the cross-country national team.