ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) 鈥� Snowboarders Patrizia Kummer and Zan Kosir had something in common Tuesday in the Olympic parallel giant slalom race 鈥� an early exit.
Something else, too: Both spent time in isolation leading into their races because of virus protocols.
For Kummer, it was after arriving for the Olympics instead of getting a COVID-19 vaccination.
For Kosir, it followed a positive COVID-19 test upon arriving in Beijing. He spent 11 days in isolation.
Both were out in the first heat Tuesday at Genting Snow Park. Just like that went Kummer, the 2014 Olympic champion, and Kosir, whose three Olympic snowboarding medals are the record 鈥� along with Shaun White, Kelly Clark, Jamie Anderson, Mark McMorris and Tuesday's winner, Benjamin Karl, and bronze medalist Vic Wild.
The time in isolation impacted the riders differently. The Swiss racer, Kummer, was convinced it wasn't a hindrance. Kosir, who is from Slovenia, felt the opposite.
鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult because there鈥檚 nothing to do,鈥� said Kosir, who鈥檚 earned two bronze medals and a silver in his career. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e locked in the room. You have no information. It was tough for my mind."
as 鈥渘o problem.鈥�
鈥淓verything's in your head,鈥� she explained. 鈥淵ou can do good when you're prepared in your head.鈥�
She said she got most of her strength work in before she left for China. In her room, she focused on working on her quickness.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need much space," she said. "And that was easy to get quick feet. That was my goal: to get quick feet when I start here. And I have.鈥�
Olympic rules called for all participants in the Beijing Games to either show proof of vaccination or spend 21 days away from contact with others upon arriving in China. Kummer defended her choice.
鈥淓verybody needs to decide on their own and nobody鈥檚 in my body, so who the hell thinks they can decide for me?" she said. "I don鈥檛 care what everybody else thinks.鈥�
She said she has acted as responsibly as anyone else over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淚 still have to do good things (so) that they don鈥檛 get the virus from me. And I鈥檝e never been sick until now and that鈥檚 not that easy, right?" she said.
Kummer said those caring for her even gave her presents to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday in China. She received a stuffed animal tiger and a piece of art with two pandas on it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so crazy beautiful,鈥� said Kummer, who lost to Julia Dujmovits of Austria.
Kosir never got a chance to fully dial in his setup. Three days after getting out of isolation, he was beaten by Roland Fischnaller.
鈥淵ou never know 鈥� probably my last Olympics," the 37-year-old Kosir said. 鈥淏ut we'll see.鈥�
___
AP National Writer Eddie Pells contributed to this report.
___
More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Pat Graham, The Associated Press
