Russia Forfeits World Junior Game Versus Slovakia Due to Positive COVID-19 Test

The hits keep on coming at the 2022 World Junior Championship. 

Hours after Czechia forfeited their game on Wednesday versus Finland following a positive test amongst their players, Russia has now been forced into the same fate, forfeiting their contest with Slovakia after a positive result popped up during the most recent round of testing. 

This new development brings the number of COVID-19 influenced forfeits at this year's tournament to three so far, with the United States handing Switzerland a loss by default on Tuesday, too. 

With the Omicron variant ripping through professional sports at the moment, these most recent positive tests only further demonstrate just how difficult it is to hold an international tournament at the height of a pandemic. 

And despite thrusting teams into immediate quarantines following positive tests amongst their players or staff, the COVID virus still seems to be slipping through the cracks. Even before the tournament officially began, a pre-tournament game between Czechia and Switzerland was canceled out of an abundance of caution, setting an uneasy tone for the days to follow. 

At this rate, this will likely not be the last forfeit before the festivities conclude.