News release leaves optimism the team could still compete

Team Germany will not take part in the pre-event practice sessions for the 2021 world women’s curling championship in Calgary following two positive tests for COVID-19.

The news was announced by the World Curling Federation. In the news release, there was no mention of the team dropping out of the championship—rather, there was a tone of optimism that the team could still compete in the championship.

“The individuals who returned positive cases will remain in isolation until medically cleared by the Chief Medical Officer with guidance from Alberta Health,” said the release.

“After consistent negative results in the expanded testing, and while still asymptomatic, the remaining team members of the impacted team will be given approval to return to sport at the conclusion of further testing, including testing for variants of concern.”

Thirteen of the 14 competing teams have been given medical approval to begin pre-competition practice on Thursday. Team Germany—the impacted team with two positive COVID-19 cases—will not take part in the official practice.

The German team is skipped by Daniela Jentsch, with third Mia Höhne, second Klara Hermine-Fomm, Analena Jentsch at lead and alternate Emira Abbes.

Jentsch and her sister have competed together in five world and European championships representing Germany since 2015. Daniela Jentsch also represented Germany at the 2000 worlds and 2002 and 2004 Europeans.

Abbes has been part of the team since 2017. Hermine-Fomm joined in 2018 and Höhne in 2019.

The team’s only podium appearance came at the 2018 Europeans in Tallinn, Estonia where they defeated Russia’s Alina Kovaleva for the bronze medal.

The first positive was identified during extensive pre-competition testing on April 23, while the eight arriving teams were quarantining at one event hotel.

The other six teams had competed in the two preceding Grand Slam of Curling events and were stationed at the main athlete hotel.

The second positive case was identified within the same team after enhanced testing protocols on Sunday, April 25.

Germany and the other seven recently arrived teams remained isolated at their hotel as further testing and contact tracing was executed by event partner Alberta Health.

All arrivals to the pre-competition quarantine hotel, including the impacted individuals, had returned a negative PCR COVID-19 test result within 72 hours prior to their departure for Canada. With the exception of the impacted individuals, all other tests since arrival have returned negative results.

German national coach Uli Kapp has been in the Calgary event bubble since the men’s world championship, passing time through the two Grand Slams while awaiting Team Jentsch’s arrival.

“Although the positive results hit us like a nightmare came true, I’m very proud of the girls’ spirit,” Kapp posted to social media. “Team Deutschland still hopes to be cleared for play on Friday, but for now we need to stay patient—first priority, stay safe.”