Erik Lesser lends bicycle to biathlon rival during COVID quarantine in first-class showing of friendship

There is no such thing as winning at all costs for biathlon star Erik Lesser.

In the month leading up to a Games, athletes are usually squeezing in any final training that may give them an advantage over their rivals in the pursuit of gold.

But thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been an Olympic cycle like no other, and many athletes have instead been helping each other cope with virus-enforced disruptions.

In a perfect demonstration of such friendship, German three-time Olympic medallist Lesser came to the aid of his Russian rival Eduard Latypov, who is in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 ahead of the IBU World Cup event in Oberhof.

Upon hearing the news, Lesser, who lives in Oberhof, had one of his bicycles and some kit sent over to where the World Cup champion Latypov is staying, so that the ROC Winter Olympic hopeful could continue his preparations for the Beijing 2022 Games while in isolation.

"It is a very difficult situation not to be allowed out so shortly before the Olympics for two weeks,” Lesser said, according to Eurosport. “Since I live here and there is nothing in terms of bikes that I don't have, I offered him my bike.”

“It's just a small gesture and an opportunity to act together on an international level."

MORE: Olympic biathlon at Beijing 2022 - Top five things to know

Nordic events in Planica cancelled

The Cross Country ski and Nordic combined events that had been scheduled for 22 and 23rd January in Planica, Slovenia, have been cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns and local health authority recommendations. The International Ski Federation (FIS), who made the announcement, are aiming to find a replacement venue.

The World Cup races were due to be the final competitive events prior to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in February, and a test event for the Nordic World Ski Championships in 2023.