Bobsleigh-Canada team hit by COVID-19 outbreak in Latvia

[December 30, 2021]

(Reuters) - Canada's bobsleigh team have placed 10 athletes and three staff members into COVID-19 protocols two days before a World Cup event in Sigulda, Latvia, Canadian media reported on Wednesday.

With the Beijing Winter Olympics just five weeks away, the team had spent the holiday break in Latvia to minimise travel ahead of the Jan. 1-2 World Cup event there, the reports said.

"Our focus remains now on monitoring and looking after everybody in our group that's been affected," Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton was quoted as saying in a statement.

After Latvia, World Cup events are scheduled to take place in Winterberg, Germany from Jan. 8-9 and St Moritz, Switzerland from Jan. 15-16.

Qualification for the Winter Olympics, which begin on Feb. 4, will be based on the world rankings as of Jan. 16.

(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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