Lukas Weißhaidinger travels corona-vaccinated to the Tokyo Games / archive
The vaccinations against Corona for Austria's Olympic athletes for Tokyo start on Wednesday. In the army health centers in Vienna, Hörsching near Linz, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt, the vaccines from Johnson & Johnson are administered via the army infrastructure. “In May and June it is possible to offer the vaccination to all team members, supervisors and athletes who wish to do so,” said ÖOC sports director Christoph Sieber on Tuesday.
The dates for May are fixed once, others would have to be set in June. “For those who cannot accommodate it in May,” Sieber explained at an online press conference, “but also for any new team members who will emerge or qualify by then. We will make sure that everyone has a chance . ” The timing plays an important role, as you have to reckon with any vaccine reactions over a day or two. The long-term development of the Olympic Games should not suffer.
However, not everyone with even a small chance of qualification could be informed, because that would have been around 300 people on the athlete side alone. Sieber: “There are clear restrictions and specifications based on the available contingents. We just had to draw an objective line. But we assume that everyone who travels to Tokyo in the Olympic team will still have the opportunity to meet in time immunize.”
Currently 43 ÖOC quota places have been secured for the Olympics, the Austrian Olympic Committee expects around 70 ÖOC participants. Ten tickets have been won for the Paralympics athletes for the ÖPC, ÖPC General Secretary Petra Huber expects around 30 red-white-red qualifiers. Six active players are currently on promising qualification places. Badminton player Henriett Koosz, who played tennis in London in 2012, is hopeful.
Medal hope Lukas Weißhaidinger takes one of the first vaccination appointments offered. “You can't do it better,” said the discus thrower, praising the planning. One-rower Magdalena Lobnig decided on May 25th, even if she still has antibodies after suffering from corona in December. “I want to be on the safe side,” said the Carinthian. “After the World Cup in Lucerne, I'll get vaccinated. I have a week of rest and it fits in very well.”
