Dear sirs,
In addition to Latvian Bridge Federation not receiving an answer on its April 6 statement from the World Bridge Federation on the lineup of team USA 1 being ineligible according to point 3.6 of Conditions of Contest, LBF asks also an explanation on the fact that in the 6th segment of quarterfinals USA 1 team had yet another replacement – Chris Willenken – previously member of the USA 1 team, who got replaced because of testing positive for Covid positive on April 4.
The lineup of team USA 1 had already once been changed and the team participated with a lineup which we believe were illegitimate. However, there was one more replacement done on April 6 by changing Kevin Rosenberg to Chris Willenken. And there are no public statements on why this replacement was done.
Also based on publicly based information, Italy Covid 19 regulations state that asymptomatic people testing positive, namely the people who tested positive but are without symptoms needs to follow a minimum 10-day isolation after testing positive, and they have to submit to a molecular test (swab) that must result negative (10 days + test) before being able to go out.
In addition, currently team composition of USA 1 is 4 males and 2 females, while they started the tournament with 3 males and 3 females. Based on General Conditions of Contest point 18, a female cannot be substituted by a male.
Based on the beforementioned we kindly ask to provide the following:
1) Based on what the new replacement of Chris Willenken was done
2) Based on what Chris Willenken was allowed to play if 2 days prior he had tested positive
3) Based on what at some point a female in a mixt team was replaced by a male as the current composition of the team differs from the one in the start of the tournament.
Please also provide the previously requested decisions of the Executive Council and Credentials Committee on the replacements made on April 4 as well as on the new replacement made on April 6.
Thank you for cooperation!
Kind Regards,
on behalf of Latvian Bridge Federation
Jeļena Alfejeva, president
TO WBF
April 7th, 2022