At the Milano-Cortina Olympics, several members of the Finnish cross-country skiing team fell ill, with four reported infections towards the end of the games, including notable athletes like Iivo Niskanen and Ristomatti Hakola. Maarit Valtonen, the chief physician of the Finnish Olympic Committee, voiced her dissatisfaction with how the team's health was managed during the event. She emphasized that infections are a significant issue that can critically impact athletes' performance and stressed the need for improvements in medical oversight to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Valtonen pointed out that while the initial phase of the competition proceeded well, a sudden spike in infections during the final week raised alarms. She suggested that there is a pressing need to learn more about respiratory tract infections and their prevalence among athletes. The principal concern is identifying the source of these infections—whether they are introduced to the team from outside or spread internally among athletes who might not show symptoms.

To tackle this challenge, Valtonen advocated for increased investment in virus testing for the cross-country skiing discipline. Understanding the number of asymptomatic carriers within the team could be crucial in managing and mitigating the spread of infections. The situation calls for a period of reflection and reassessment to determine how to better safeguard the health of athletes during major competitions.