The International Olympic Committee admitted that conditions for athletes forced to isolate owing to testing positive for coronavirus had not met expectations, after German team officials complained of limited access to food and internet in quarantine.
Christophe Dubi, executive director of the Olympic Games, said most concerns over isolation had been addressed but admitted that improvements were needed after German officials called conditions “unacceptable”.
“It should not happen, and we want to make sure it does not,” Dubi told reporters yesterday, adding that organisers “cannot be complacent” as they try to conduct the Games in line with Beijing’s zero-Covid policy.
Dirk Schimmelpfennig, chef de mission of the German Olympic team, said he was working with Chinese and IOC officials to get three athletes in isolation facilities cleaner rooms, training equipment and regular delivery of food and PCR tests.
More from the Beijing Games:
The Beijing Winter Olympics opened with a subdued ceremony that exemplified the closed nature of the games and the country’s attempts to defeat coronavirus.
NBC paid billions for exclusive US rights to the Games, but the American television network faces declining audience interest.
Have you been watching the Olympics? Tell me what you think of the Games so far at firstft@ft.com. Thanks for reading FirstFT Asia — Emily
Five more stories in the news
1. EU draws up energy contingencies amid tension in Ukraine Brussels is examining how to shield consumers from a potential energy crisis as part of plans to protect Europe’s households, businesses and borders from the fallout from a Russian military escalation in Ukraine.
More on Russia-Ukraine conflict: French president Emmanuel Macron has signalled he will recognise Russian security concerns without abandoning support for Ukraine’s sovereignty when he meets Vladimir Putin in Moscow today.
2. India declares 2 days of mourning after Bollywood star’s death Lata Mangeshkar, one of India’s most revered cultural figures, died on Sunday at the age of 92. Mangeshkar, who was admitted to hospital last month with Covid-19 and later suffered from multiple organ failure, will be given a state funeral.
3. China companies try to list in US following clampdown A handful of companies are seeking to become the first China-headquartered businesses to go public in the US since July, in a test of regulators’ willingness to accept new listings after clampdowns on both sides of the Pacific.
4. Outrage over Indian arrest of prominent Kashmiri journalist Indian authorities have provoked a backlash by arresting the editor of a leading Kashmir-based news site, a decision that has alarmed civil society advocates who say Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is throttling press freedom.
5. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp hit by cyber attack Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, owner of the Wall Street Journal, is investigating a cyber attack that it suspects was linked to China and accessed journalists’ emails and documents.
Coronavirus digest
Boris Johnson should be given “time and space” to lead, UK business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng urged, as the prime minister tries to woo Tory backbenchers.
Opinion: Covid entrepreneurs can lead a new wave of creative destruction, John Thornhill writes. Emma Jacobs says that hybrid work will weaken employee loyalty.
The Omicron variant has sparked European health staff shortages, but so far has spared ICUs.
The day ahead
Indonesia GDP Economists predict that today’s fourth-quarter GDP figures will show that south-east Asia’s largest economy grew 4.9 per cent in the fourth quarter, according to a Reuters poll. (Reuters)
Asia PMI figures IHS Markit purchasing managers’ index data will be released for the region.
Anniversary of the Maastricht treaty Today marks 30 years of the treaty, which established the EU and laid the foundations for monetary union. It also fuelled concerns among those opposed to further political union, arguably sowing the seeds of Brexit.
What else we’re reading and listening to
‘Kim doesn’t just want more missiles, he wants better ones’ Of all North Korea’s missile systems tested in recent weeks, it is the development of a new generation of manoeuvrable weapons designed to evade missile defence systems that has most intrigued defence experts.
Related read: China and Russia’s hypersonic weaponry threatens US early warning system, writes William Schneider, Hudson Institute senior fellow.
Tokyo reckons with the memory of its notorious ex-governor The recent death of Shintaro Ishihara, a rampant nationalist who made offence-giving an art form is a reminder that the city loves a rebel, writes Leo Lewis.
The nuclear power dilemma: where to put the lethal waste France is the last bastion of nuclear power in Europe. But even there, there’s high sensitivity surrounding the technology as the country explores new ways to dispose of radioactive materials. Public opposition remains as fierce as ever.
Does Peloton trick us into working out? This week, the FT Weekend podcast looked at the Peloton phenomenon. Host Lilah Raptopoulos and San Francisco correspondent Patrick McGee explore the behavioural science behind why we don’t exercise and the tech that tricks our brains into doing it anyway.
Six things I wish I’d known about money when I was 20 Even after a decade of investing, Ken Okoroafor, co-founder of The Humble Penny still struggles to work out what to do. But it’s even harder for younger people, taking their first steps in investment at this tricky time. Here are six tips he wishes he had known earlier.
Travel
Writer Pico Iyer has been visiting Kyoto for more than 30 years — but the last few months have offered a fresh perspective during a winter without tourists.
Source: Economy - ft.com
