Unvaccinated snowboarder defends choice after quarantine

Swiss Kummer, who was knocked out of Olympic event at round of 16, says she doesn’t ‘care what people think of her’

BEIJING:

Unvaccinated Swiss snowboarder Patrizia Kummer said she had "no problem" after competing at the Beijing Olympics on Tuesday following three weeks of quarantine, and didn't "care what people think" of her.

Athletes vaccinated against Covid-19 go straight into the "closed-loop" bubble system at the Beijing Games but those who have not been jabbed face a mandatory 21-day hotel quarantine period before competing.

Kummer safely negotiated the opening round of the women's parallel giant slalom on Tuesday morning but was knocked out of the competition at the round of 16.

Speaking after her opening round performance, she insisted that despite being in quarantine, she had been able to do "really good" training.

"During quarantine I did more fast training like jumping and stuff – you can do that everywhere, you don't need much space," said Kummer, who won gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

"Everything is in your head – you can do good when you are prepared in your head and I was prepared."

Kummer said getting the vaccine "wasn't the best" for her and that she was "happy" to go through the quarantine period.

She said she moved into the Olympic Village after 17 or 18 days of her quarantine and was then allowed to train on the slopes and go back to her room until the full three weeks were over.

Kummer said she did not have "an opinion about anybody else" regarding the vaccine and did not care what people thought of her status.

"If somebody else has an opinion, they can have it – it's their free will to have it," said the 34-year-old.

"Everybody needs to decide on their own. Nobody is in my body so who the hell thinks they can decide for me?"

Unvaccinated tennis star Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia last month over his vaccine status, preventing him from defending his Australian Open title.