Sweden replaces two ice hockey defenders after positive covid-19 tests at the 2022 Olympics – Sport
MOSCOW, 31 January. /PAW/. Two defensive players from the Swedish national ice hockey team, on their way to the upcoming Winter Olympics 2022 in China’s Beijing, have tested positive for covid-19 and will be replaced by replacements, the national team’s press service announced on Monday.
The players in question are Emil Djuse and Erik Gustafsson, according to the national team’s website. They would be replaced by players from the Russian-based Continental Hockey Club (KHL), Theodor Lennström (Torpedo Hockey Club) and Philip Holm (Jokerit Helsinki Hockey Club).
The ice hockey competition at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing will take place between 9 and 20 February.
Sweden was placed in Group C together with the national teams of Finland, Latvia and Slovakia. Reigning Olympic champions Team ROC will compete to defend their Group B Olympic championships with national troops from the Czech Republic, Denmark and Switzerland; while Group A consists of teams from Canada, China, Germany and the United States.
The US-based National Hockey League (NHL) reported on December 22 that its players will not participate in the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics. This decision was made “because the league’s regular season schedule has been disrupted due to increasing cases of covid-19 and a increasing number of postponed games “, according to the NHL’s press office.
2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games in Beijing
The 2022 Winter Olympics in the Chinese capital, Beijing, are scheduled for February 4-20, while the Paralympic Winter Games will be held March 4-13.
During the 128th IOC session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31, 2015, Beijing was chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games, making the Chinese capital the first city ever to host both the Summer and Paralympic Games. (2008) as well as the Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games (2022).
Beijing won the right to host the 2022 Olympics and Paralympics in a close race, beating Kazakhstan’s Almaty in 2015, receiving 44 votes against rival’s 40.