Kiwi Paralympian to ride out storm in US
Top flight Kiwi skier Adam Hall has opted to stay in the United States as Covid-19 continues to spread.
He’s in lockdown at his Colorado property in a ‘‘pretty small mountain town’’ as the number of deaths in the United States surpasses 2400.
The day the pandemic was declared the double Paralympic gold medallist was in transit in New Jersey, on his way to Europe to compete in the final rounds of the skiing World Cup.
He was able to turn around and make it back to Colorado within 24 hours.
‘‘This is probably the most dramatic thing that’s happened worldwide in sport,’’ he said.
‘‘All sports have been cancelled . . . it’s been pretty crazy.’’
His wife Elitsa – also a Paralympic skier – is American, so the duo have been able to set up a good base in the States.
‘‘It’s not been too stressful or too worrying,’’ he said. ‘‘Things are a little bit easier to hunker down here and really just see what happens in the next wee while.
‘‘I think no matter where you are in the world, it’s a pretty similar situation.’’
While resorts in Colorado have been closing for the season because of Covid-19, Hall was able to get in one last run last week at a private skifield before that, too, was closed.
‘‘Everyone around the world is adapting their training regimes,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s just about staying put and popping your head out the door for a bit of fresh air.’’
Hall has spent the last 15 winters training in the United States and was planning on returning to New Zealand in May for the domestic snowsports season, but that has been put on hold for now too.
‘‘A lot of the [Covid-19] cases have been of people who travelled. We didn’t want to be one of those statistics,’’ he said.
‘‘We’ll see how the New Zealand domestic season pans out, and if it does, how it looks.’’
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics now postponed to 2021, it also puts the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in doubt.
The Winter Olympics are due to be held less than nine months after the Tokyo Games.
‘‘It’s just a waiting game for everybody and hopefully everybody is doing the right thing.
‘‘This is a lot bigger problem than sport.’’
Hall had spent the last few months pre-lockdown in the United States, preparing for the ‘‘pinnacle events’’ in Europe.
But as everyone is now in lockdown, all the elite athletes will be in the ‘‘same boat’’.