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Russian-Ukraine Tensions Continue; Beijing Winter Olympics: China Reports New COVID-19 Cases Linked to Upcoming Games; Coronavirus Pandemic: Delhi Keeps Schools Closed Despite Push for Reopening; Waiting for "Partygate" Report; Johnson: Lockdown Parties Report Will Be Published In Full; Johnson Denies Authorizing Animal Airlift From Kabul; U.S. Scrambles To Recover Crashed F-35. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 28, 2022 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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THE VIEW FROM SPACE

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THE VIEW FROM SPACE

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Ahead on "CNN Newsroom," tensions simmering in the crisis at the Russia-Ukraine border only made worse by the U.S. and Ukraine not being on the same page.

Concerns also growing in Beijing. With the games just two weeks away, more new COVID cases, some inside the Olympic bubble.

And The waiting game. Boris Johnson and all of the U.K. waiting on the "partygate" report. Why the findings have yet to be released.

[02:10:00]

BRUNHUBER (on camera): Efforts to ease the tense standoff between Russia and Ukraine seemed to have taken a turn for the worse, and there are new signs the U.S. and Ukraine are not on the same page.

First, the Pentagon reports the buildup of Russian forces near Ukraine is growing. A recent assessment by Ukrainian intelligence estimates more than 127,000 Russian troops in the region as of last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: In the last 24 hours, more accumulation of credible combat forces, a raid by the Russians in, again, the western part of their country and in Belarus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER (on camera): Ukrainian official tells CNN a Thursday phone call between the U.S. and Ukrainian presidents did not go well. A source says Joe Biden insisted a Russian invasion may be imminent. But Ukraine's president disagreed, urging Biden to calm down the messaging. The White House disputes that account as anonymous sources leaking falsehoods. Ukraine's foreign minister says he doesn't think that a Russian invasion is imminent either.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We believe that plan A for Russia is to use the threat, force to destabilize Ukraine internally, to sow panic, and to force us into concessions. Military operation is plenty. However, this plan A consists of many instruments of warfare. This includes not only amassing troops but also cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER (on camera): NATO are waiting to hear from Vladimir Putin about their written response to Russia's security concerns.

Let's go live now to CNN's Nathan Hodge in Moscow. So, Nathan, a longstanding Russian demand for written responses. The U.S. and NATO comply. Now, Russia will respond. Is this actually leading anywhere, do you think? So far, the signal for Moscow hasn't been very encouraging.

NATHAN HODGE, CNN PRODUCER (on camera): Well, Kim, the ball is very firmly in Russian President Vladimir Putin's court. We've heard from Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, who said that Putin is reviewing and has read the U.S. response and is going to be giving us an answer in the coming days, but not to expect it imminently. So, certainly, he's going to be taking his time to review and ponder what the U.S. response has been.

But we've had at least some early indication that the Russians are not very receptive to the U.S. response. Here's what Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): There is no positive reaction on the main issue in this document. The main issue is our clear position on the admissibility (ph) of further expansion of NATO to the east and the deployment of strike weapons that could threaten the territory of the Russian federation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HODGE (on camera): Now, Lavrov is also made it clear that on some issues, what he calls secondary issues, the U.S. and Russia can find some common ground. That is going to be on things like arms control, the positioning of troops in Eastern Europe. But really on the main issue, that's at stake, whether Ukraine can be admitted to NATO, which the U.S. will not back down on.

Russia and the United States are still very, very far apart. We're going to wait and see in the coming days what President Putin has to say.

Later this morning, we expect that there will be a phone call between President Emmanuel Macron of France and President Putin. Again, this follows after meetings between Ukrainian and Russian officials in the so-called Normandy format, which has given at least some hope that there is the possibility of dialogue. But, of course, the U.S. officials have been warning that there is a series and high risks of military action by Russia. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Nathan Hodge in Moscow, thanks so much.

I want to bring in David Herszenhorn, who is chief Brussels correspondent for "Politico." Thanks so much for being here with us. So, even though in the wake of getting those written responses from U.S. and NATO, Moscow sort of signal that there won't be a solution any time soon. Diplomatic efforts, obviously, are still ongoing. As our correspondent there mentioned today, French President Emmanuel Macron will be speaking to Vladimir Putin. So, broadly speaking, what are Macron's goals for this phone call?

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BRUNHUBER: Can you hear me? All right, we seem to be having some audio issues there. Hopefully, we will be able to go back to our guest, David Herszenhorn, in Brussels in a few minutes.

All right, still ahead, more news. Please do stay with us here on "CNN Newsroom."

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BRUNHUBER: All right, I want to bring back David Herszenhorn, the chief Brussels correspondent for "Politico." Thanks for bearing with us through our technical difficulties, David. Now, you can hear me. So, I wanted to go to the ongoing diplomatic efforts. As we mentioned there, French President Emmanuel Macron will be speaking to Vladimir Putin. So, broadly speaking, what are Macron's goals for this phone call?

DAVID HERSZENHORN, CHIEF BRUSSELS CORRESPONDENT, POLITICO: Well, it's a really interesting question because, of course, broadly speaking, the west would like to deescalate this conflict, would like Russia to back off from the Ukrainian border.

But Macron seems to have other aspirations here. He is in the midst of a presidential reelection campaign, and so there is a real question about, you know, is Macron working here now for the greater good or really trying to insert himself at the center of this discussion when, in fact, in the past, his diplomacy with Vladimir Putin really hasn't led anywhere. So, he says this is about eliminating any misunderstanding.

The question is, is it also grandstanding on the part of a French president, who is up against opponents, all of whom seemed more friendly to Russia than Emmanuel Macron is? So, you have to wonder why Vladimir Putin will turn around and suddenly, after engaging in this long standoff, after being in a dialogue directly with Joe Biden, which we know is where the Russian leader wants to be, why would he suddenly turn around and deliver some kind of compromise to Emmanuel Macron rather than take the time, as he has said he will, to study the written responses from NATO and United States, and then come back with the decision or take the military technical response that he is warned about.

So, the real question here about what Macron thinks he will get out of this call at 10:45 other than morning of attention from Emmanuel Macron itself.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. Skeptics might think that this is just theatrics on his part. You talked about Macron inserting himself into the process here. I mean, this week, France hosted talks between advisers from Russia and Ukraine, which was the first since this latest border buildup again.

So, what daylight is there between the French position and that of the U.S. and the U.K. when it comes to how best to handle this conflict?

HERSZENHORN: Overall, there is a ton of daylight, but Macron has been more willing to engage Putin in discussion. He wanted to keep this dialogue going, even at times when it seems that it serves no purpose other than to give Putin more air time for his own grievances.

[02:20:04]

HERSZENHORN: So, you're right, there were these Normandy talks at the presidential advisory level in Paris, but maybe the last best chance to really resolve this conflict in Ukraine. It was in December 2019, also in Paris, when the Normandy format met for the last time in leader formation.

So, with Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin was there, and they came up with nothing. I mean, it was a long, long night. I was there in Paris for that. It went through until past midnight. And as we can see, you know, more than two years later, we are still in this predicament.

BRUNHUBER: Do you think that Macron's efforts here at diplomacy are making things complicated from the U.S. perspective? I mean, already, all the NATO nations obviously are talking with one voice on this issue. So, does it make it even harder to present a united front?

HERSZENHORN: The front is united, but it does create that risk. Remember, Joe Biden convened a call of major western leaders. Emmanuel Macron was on that call. And virtually, hours afterwards, one of his senior advisers comes out and tells us in the press that Macron will reach out directly to Putin and offer a path to de-escalation, as if some path like that has not been apparent. Clearly, Putin could withdraw his troops back to Garrison (ph) and any moment.

So, there is this risk, that France does look like it is grandstanding a bit, like it is a little bit off on its own here when, in fact, there is a process already playing out.

Now, Biden and others would stress that, in fact, they are all in lockstep, but there's no real difference between the goals of Emmanuel Macron or Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, or Joe Biden, or any of the leaders of the NATO alliance.

The secretary general has been clear about this as well. They want to discourage any aggression against Ukraine by Russia. They want to de- escalate this conflict. They're willing to engage in talks with Vladimir Putin about certain aspects of the relationship, whether that is new arms control talks or that is about limiting military training exercises in the future.

But, Macron, I think, will face these questions and it does make life a little more complicated for the U.S. when it is trying to be very, very clear that there is, you know, a certain set of requirements of Putin to de-escalate. If not, if there is an attack on Ukraine, there will be a very high cost in the form of sanctions and economic measures.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We will certainly be watching. Really appreciate your expert analysis. David Herszenhorn in Brussels, really appreciate. Thanks.

The Beijing Winter Olympics are now just a week away, but COVID-19 concerns are ramping up as China reports more cases linked to the upcoming games.

Let's bring in CNN's Will Ripley live in Taipei. So, Will, take us inside the numbers. I mean, it seems as though many of the cases were found -- of COVID were found on arrival, but a good number still seem to happening inside that so-called closed loop.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, you have about 50 cases or so that were detected after people passed a COVID test at the airport, went inside the closed loop, where they hermetically sealed the Olympic bubble or the barricaded fortress, preventing people tied to the Olympics from touching the general public, however you want to call it. The virus is there.

Now, it is relatively small numbers when you consider that some 4,000 or so people have entered Beijing for the game so far, and there are hundreds of more arrivals that are expected in the coming hours today. And yet, the case numbers, as they stand right now tied to the games, around 141, most of them detected at the airport.

So, the numbers are small inside the bubble. The bubble is very much sealed from the rest of the public. There are some cases of Omicron and, of course, Delta as well being detected outside of the Olympic bubble, but those clusters are separate from the small cluster inside the bubble.

And Olympic organizers are doing pretty much everything they can to make it stay that way, from a monitoring app on phones that will track everybody's movement -- they've been in putting their health information for two weeks before they even enter Beijing -- to, you know, a sealed off, you know, transportation system taking them to and from venues that have guards on standby around the clock, hotels with barricades up.

Basically, almost no way for somebody to get outside of this Olympic bubble, therefore keeping whatever cases are inside contained inside. The question is, will those numbers stay small? As of now, when you're looking overall, they still remain pretty low.

BRUNHUBER: All right. As you say, we will be watching. Thanks so much, Will Ripley. Appreciate it.

As China struggles to keep the games COVID-free, some parents in India are fighting to get kids back in schools. Delhi has kept its schools closed for most of the pandemic. Now, officials are easing some COVID restrictions, but children still aren't heading back to classrooms. Vedika Sud is in New Delhi.

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BRUNHUBER: So, Vedika, lots of frustration from parents. What have you been hearing?

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely, especially after Thursday morning when the Delhi authorities had come together -- it was a crucial meeting they were holding, Kim -- to decide on whether or not to relax some of the COVID-19 restrictions that had been imposed last month due to the high number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi, which is home to India's capital.

Now, there have been some measures that have been relaxed, including the weekend curfews. They won't be on anymore. The night curfews will remain, but 50 percent occupancy is allowed in restaurants, theaters, and pubs.

But what's missing? Schools. They are not reopening anytime soon, Kim. And parents are very disheartened to hear about this. There is no word in the press release by the Delhi authorities on when schools would reopen.

It has already been 600 plus days for the younger lot -- rather for the elder lot, they haven't been to the school since the beginning of the pandemic, and almost 650 days for the younger lot, according to the petition as well. Parents in Delhi, they have taken this petition to the Delhi government as well sent it to the education ministry of India.

Now, there are tweets that have been circulated on social media where parents are extremely upset and so others were supporting this cause, that the kids need to go back to school. Educators are saying that the implications of long periods away from school could be catastrophic and could also harm children, as far as mental health issues are concerned and anxieties are concerned.

So, these parents have been saying, it seems it is all okay with the Delhi government and authorities to go ahead with reopening pubs and theaters at 50 percent occupancy, but children are still not getting back to school.

And what really is helping them through this petition and protest is the fact that Delhi's numbers, fortunately, Kim, are now coming down. Early this month, they were as high as 20,000 on a daily basis. Now, they are about 4,200. It is still high but significantly lower than what we've seen earlier this month.

So, the pressure is on the government, the Delhi government, the central government, to reopen schools. But who is really losing out is the question. It is definitely our children who have not seen classrooms in almost two years. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: That's unbelievable, 650 days. Plenty of studies support the parents' concerns about the harmful effects of kids being out of school. Really appreciate that. Vedika Sud, thank you so much.

SUD: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: A report on lockdown parties at Downing Street could determine the British prime minister's political future. We look at what we know about the inquiry and why findings have not been released. That's coming after the break. Stay with us.

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Oh, another day and still no sign of the report into Downing Street parties held during lockdown. The British Prime Minister insists he isn't delaying its release amid a scandal that threatens his political future. Boris Johnson says the report will be published in full but didn't provide a timeline. Bianca Nobilo reports on what could be holding up the inquiry.

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Why was it late? Sources in Westminster that I've spoken to speculate that it could be caution over making sure that the Sue Gray report doesn't prejudice the ongoing Met investigation into whether or not some Downing Street parties broke COVID laws, or it could be the fact that no publication date was ever set. So really, this isn't a delay.

Additional question marks over the veracity of some of Boris Johnson statements have been raised over e-mails from the foreign office that surfaced a contradicting Johnson's denial that he did not authorize the evacuation of animals from Kabul, when the city felt the Taliban. Johnson dismissed these reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This whole thing is total rhubarb. I was very proud of what armed services did without pitching and it was an amazing thing to move 15,000 people out of Kabul in the way that we did. I thought it was also additionally, very good that we are able to help those vets who came out as well. But the -- I can tell you that the military --

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you didn't intervene.

JOHNSON: Absolutely not.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So --

(CROSSTALK)

JOHNSON: The military always -- the military always prioritized human beings and that was quite right. I think we should be incredibly proud of what pity and what did achieve.

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NOBILO: Regardless of whether or not Brits or MPs think that Partygate is painfully hypocritical or a disproportionate distraction. There is no question that the wait for the report is monopolizing politics. The next few days will be critical for the Prime Minister trying to shore up support or he's fighting for his political life. Bianca Nobilo, CNN, London.

BRUNHUBER: Now for more on this, let's bring in Quentin Peel who's an Associate Fellow with the Euro program at Chatham House, as well as a commentator for the Financial Times. He joins me now from London. Thanks so much for being here with us. So what are you hearing? I mean, is the report actually complete? And just awaiting publication? What do we know at this hour?

QUENTIN PEEL, ASSOCIATE FELLOW WITH THE EUROPE PROGRAMME, CHATAM HOUSE: Yes, I think the report is effectively done. But some names could yet be taken out if the police say their investigations are still underway. And that may be a problem. That is -- that is really what is holding it up. Meanwhile, the government is effectively at a virtual standstill while we wait.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So looking at this here, it's a hypothetical but what might there be in that report that would push Johnson out? What would be in there that would be so bad that that, you know, this would effectively end his reign there?

PEEL: I think the most serious thing would be clarity that he has lied to Parliament, that he actually said untruths about the fact that he'd not attended any parties or -- and then he admitted that he did. And indeed, that nothing had been done in Downing Street that broke the law. If he lied, that's a problem. The second problem, I think, is if it shows that there's a culture, of boozy parties going on in Downing Street while the entire country was locked down because of the pandemic that is very damaging too. I think Johnson is a seriously wounded Prime Minister.

BRUNHUBER: In the meantime, he's trying to shore up support, but I mean, yet another potential scandal brewing which might make that even harder. I mean, those e-mails saying Johnson authorized an airlift of animals from Kabul. We heard the Prime Minister called this total rhubarb in his words. What do you make of us?

PEEL: Well, it is damaging again. It's the relationship between Boris Johnson and the truth is very tenuous. He seems to think he can just deny what everybody else believes and what there is evidence to prove and he carries on digging. I think that's his problem. He doesn't really see quite how bigger hole he's in. He's got away with it before, but I may be the party is over for Boris Johnson.

BRUNHUBER: Well, yes, I mean, that's just the thing with every new scandal, you know, the media and critics say, you know, surely this is the one he can't possibly survive this and yet, you know, he has so far -- I mean, you really can't underestimate his political survival instincts.

[02:35:02]

PEEL: That's true. But the key now is the Conservative Party in the House of Commons. What's going to happen? Will the back benches of his party set now decide that he's no longer the great election winner, that he is now a liability? And if they demand a vote of confidence, that's a first blow. They need 54 letters from members of Parliament asking for a vote of confidence in Boris Johnson.

And then the question is, will he win it or lose it? And of course, even if he were to win badly, that would be very damaging. Meanwhile, effectively the business of government has virtually ground to a halt.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Unbelievable. All right. Well, listen, we await that report so much rides on it. Really appreciate your analysis Quinten Peel. Thanks so much.

PEEL: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: So much countries in Europe were moving from trying to do away with COVID to learning how to live with it. Now make no mistake, the Omicron variant is still raging across the continent. But despite that, some nations are relaxing their COVID restrictions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) this whiteboard reads, we're back open, welcoming diners for the first time in 2022. Restaurant staff are resuming their usual duties this week of the Netherlands relaxes COVID restrictions. Business owners hope this time it's for good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I hope this is a last time and we have the freedom to work and to undertake fun things. So I really, really, really hope this is last time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Netherlands is among several European nations now easing rules imposed to control the spread of the Omicron variant.

Mask requirements and limited business hours will soon be lifted in Denmark as the country aims to end remaining COVID measures by next week after they were initially loosened two weeks ago.

In Austria, a so-called lockdown on the unvaccinated is coming to an end.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On Wednesday, the country's Chancellor said the pressure on hospitals is eased and he promised an end to all restrictions if infection rates remained stable.

In England and end to most coronavirus measures began Thursday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Omicron appears less severe than previous variants and encouraged booster shots on the use of antiviral drugs over restrictions to fight the virus. Still, COVID numbers remain high throughout Europe, Denmark, the Netherlands and Austria are all seeing rising infections which may only increase as restrictions relax.

The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland all reporting record daily new cases this week. That's also the case in Germany where Parliament is set to debate proposals to require some residents get vaccinated. Russia also reporting record numbers this week, but hospital officials say patients seem to be exhibiting less severe symptoms as the variant spreads at record speed restrictions are lifting and what may be a pandemic first.

Officials and residents across Europe perhaps choosing to carry on with COVID-19.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: One of America's most advanced stealth fighters is now lying on the ocean bottom near China. We'll look at why the U.S. is determined to get to it first. Stay with us.

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[02:40:28]

BRUNHUBER: The U.S. military is scrambling to recover an F35 stealth fighter crashed into the South China Sea on Monday. It's the most sophisticated war plane the U.S. has. Made U.S. fears China might try to reach the wreckage first. CNN's Ivan Watson has the details.

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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The F 35 stealth fighter jet. The world's most expensive weapons system. On Monday, the relatively new U.S. Navy version of one of these jets crashed into the flight deck of a U.S. aircraft carrier, injuring the pilot and six sailors. The cause of the crash still under investigation. The Navy now has the difficult task of recovering the wreckage of the F-35 from the bottom of the ocean.

To make sure defense experts say that its classified technology doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

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PETER LAYTON, MILITARY AVIATION EXPERT, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY: The Chinese have a have a long history of being able to borrow something from overseas and reverse engineer it. So that this would certainly be a goldmine as far as that goes.

WATSON (on camera): The crash occurred here in the South China Sea. A heavily trafficked body of water that Beijing claims almost all for itself. And this is where two American aircraft carriers are currently operating, accompanied by more than 100 warplanes in at least 10 other warships and unmistakable demonstration of U.S. naval power to both allies and rivals in Asia.

ALESSIO PATALANO, PROFESSOR OF WAR AND STRATEGY, EAST, ASIA, KING'S COLLEGE LONDON: That is a powerful reminder that the Indo Pacific is a central strategic importance to the Biden administration. It's about signaling to other competitors in the region (INAUDIBLE) China that the United States credibility should not be taken lightly.

WATSON (voice over): The Chinese Foreign Ministry says it's not interested in the crashed plane. A spokesman urged the U.S. to contribute more to regional peace rather than flexing for sit and return. But Chinese state media did some gloating, saying the crash exposed U.S. exhaustion at containing China.

It's not the first time the U.S. Navy has had an accident while asserting what Washington says is its right to conduct freedom of navigation operations in these contested waters. Last October, a U.S. Navy attack submarine crashed into an undersea mountain in the South China Sea, prompting the firing of its commanding officers. Meanwhile, the versatile F-35 war plane developed years behind schedule and way over budget has had its own setbacks of late.

A British F-35 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea in November. In 2019, a Japanese F-35 crashed into the Pacific Ocean killing the pilot. The jet impacted at such high speed that salvage teams never recovered most of the aircraft

LAYTON: Flying from aircraft carriers is a high-risk business. And occasionally problems will happen. While it's unfortunate, it is to be expected when you start flying hundreds of sorties.

WATSON: Experts predict it will take several weeks for the U.S. Navy to recover. This expensive wreck from the bottom of the sea. Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

BRUNHUBER: I'm Kim Brunhuber and I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM at the top of the hour. World Sport is next.

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DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Hello there and welcome to World Sport. I'm Don Riddell at CNN Center. Some of the world's top golfers are in Dubai this week for the Dubai Desert Classic. Action at the Emirates golf club get underway on Thursday. World Number Two Collin Morikawa is the star of the field knowing that if he plays his cards right, then he could end the week at the top of the world rankings.

Young American though is trying to recover from a disappointing tournament in Abu Dhabi last week, and he has made a really solid start. A four under power under 68. Sitting just three shots off the lead. Setting the pace currently is Denmark's Joachim Hansen who shot seven-under-par 65. He made a blistering start birdieing four consecutive holes on the front nine. The world number 110 is looking for a third tour win.

Meanwhile Thursday was very emotional at the Australian Open in Melbourne as Dylan Alcott played the final match of his remarkable career. The charismatic Australian was beaten in the wheelchair final meaning that he retired on a loss and was therefore denied what would have been an eighth title in his home open. But the 31-year-old has achieved so much, 15 major titles. And last year, he became the only man to complete the golden slam in quad singles.

He is inspirational to so many people with disabilities but it was some recognition from an able bodied player that really moved him to tears.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DYLAN ALCOTT, AUSTRALIAN TENNIS PLAYER: I hope he doesn't mind this but Andy Murray just messaged me. I don't know if I've articulated that well, but you're an absolute rockstar and inspiration with everything you've done. That kills me. That makes me want to cry. It's special. You're a part of it. Just part of it. They don't even care you're in a wheelchair. They don't give -- (INAUDIBLE) special. It's so nice, you know.

It's like that everywhere, man. I never thought that would happen. It's cool, it's really cool. I think that makes -- that's better than winning a tennis tournament. This is a legend of the sport getting around wheelchair tennis. If it's good enough for someone like that it's good enough for everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: Wow. You know, we are used to seeing emotion from athletes but that really felt very different after everything that he's accomplished. Dylan Alcott finally feel seen.

You know, we haven't seen Novak Djokovic since he was deported from Melbourne on the eve of the Aussie Open, but it looks like he'll be returning to action next month. Djokovic has been named on the entry list for the Dubai ATP Tour event. Entrance to Dubai do not need to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Most athletes at the Olympics will not be on the podium for them just being able to compete at the Games is triumph in its own right. And that is especially true now in the era of COVID-19. The athletes, thousands of them heading to Beijing for the Winter Games which start next Friday. Know that all of their hopes and dreams could be derailed at any moment by one positive test. CNN Selina Wang has more.

SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For Winter Olympic athletes just getting to Beijing is as nerve racking as competing for gold. Nearly 3000 athletes will be gathering under the world's strictest COVID countermeasures. They've trained their entire careers for this moment but a positive COVID test could derail at all. HANNAH SOAR, U.S. OLYMPIC FREESTYLE SKIER: One positive test is going to do us in at this point. It's super stressful. I didn't know that I really struggled with anxiety to be totally honest until like the past couple months.

WANG: U.S. mogul skier Hannah Soar and her teammates have been isolating in Utah for the past month. They live in separate homes, socially distance on the mountains, order groceries for delivery.

SOAR: No one's looked at each other in the eyes. I haven't literally been inside anywhere besides this house for the past month.

WANG: Soar even wears a KN95 masks under her neck warmer on the slopes.

SOAR: And so I just treat everyone like they have COVID and it creates a lot of anxiety in my life. But hopefully it gets me to China.

WANG: Athletes have to test negative for COVID twice before boarding a plane. Once within 96 hours and another within 72 hours before departure. Then daily tests in Beijing.

Organizers are relying on sensitive PCR tests which means recently recovered but healthy athletes could potentially be isolated or barred from competing.

DR. WILLIAM SCHAFFNER, PROFESSOR OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: They've gone to a public health extreme. That test is so sensitive. It is nearly picking up remnants of the virus. You are not contagious to anyone else.

WANG: Organizers aren't taking any chances. The host country sticking to its zero COVID policy or just one case can trigger lock downs and mask testing.

[02:50:06]

WANG (on camera): During the Tokyo Summer Olympics here 41 athletes tested positive for COVID. At least two dozen had to withdraw from competition. Now with Omicron and even stricter rules at the Beijing Games, it's inevitable. Some athletes are going to lose their chance to compete.

(voice over): A positive test could send an athlete into isolation at a facility in China until they get two consecutive negative tests, which experts say could take weeks.

Olympians will be completely separate from the rest of China, part of what organizers are calling a closed loop system, multiple bubbles conducted by dedicated shuttles. Then there's a mountainous venues Yanqing and Zhangjiakou, north of Beijing, all connected by high-speed rails.

British skeleton racer Laura Deas was in Yanqing last fall for training. LAURA DEAS, BRITISH OLYMPIC SKELETON RACER: Everything that we did we, you know, training, eating, sleeping was all within this bubble. But it felt incredibly organized.

WANG: Ahead of the game, she self-isolating in the U.K. and getting creative training without a gym. While Deas knows what to expect in Beijing, it's the next few days that are the most tense.

DEAS: I've jumped all of these hurdles over the past few years to get to this point. And I'm just, you know, just trying really hard to do all the right things now so that I can get to Beijing safely without COVID.

WANG: For athletes this year, just stepping foot into the Olympic bubble will be a victory. Selina Wang, CNN, Tokyo.

RIDDELL: After everything they've been through to get ready and prepared for the Olympics. It's just a nightmare to be in that situation. OK.

Do you remember the Thai cave rescue from a few years ago? The plight of a young football team becoming a real life drama that gripped people all over the world. That story is now being retailed in books, a documentary, a T.V. series and also a movie. I've been chatting with the lead diver who made the rescue possible. It's an extraordinary story coming up next.

RICK STANTON, DIVER WHO RESCUED THAI TEAM: You suddenly sedated a boy make them unconscious, put a mask on them, tie them up and drag them underwater. And that's when there's -- the responsibility of what we were doing really hit home.

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RIDDELL: Welcome back. You probably haven't heard of the name Rick Stanton. But I bet you'll know what he did. In 2018, Stanton was the lead diver who helped find the Wild Boars football team deep inside a Thai cave. He then devised a complicated rescue strategy to bring them all out alive. He's now telling his incredible life story in a new book and he'll soon be betrayed in a Hollywood movie as well.

He's been telling me why he doesn't think the rescue was a miracle. And why he's just glad that he didn't have to play anyone and football.

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RIDDELL (voice over): Rick Stanton has spend much of his life underground, out of sight. He's a cave diver and he wants you to know that he's definitely not a football fan.

STANTON: As football sports, just (INAUDIBLE) to me. Any type of ball came towards me, cricket, football, rugby, it was like complete panic and not interested (INAUDIBLE) the uncool kids that didn't kick balls of that.

RIDDELL: And yet it was a football team that propelled him onto the world stage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rescue teams are working through the night to save 12 boys and their coach trapped inside a cave.

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RIDDELL: When 12 young players and their coach became trapped in a flooded Thai cave in 2018, Stanton was called into action. A lifelong passion for the niche activity of cave diving had prepared him for this very moment. Very few people in the world would have known how to find the boys, let alone safely extract them from the cave.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Finding the boys was the easy part. They didn't have a clue how to get those kids out.

RIDDELL: It was Stanton who proposed the plan to sedate the boys and dive them out. If they were conscious and panicked it could have proved fatal for everyone. He was controversial and risky, but with monsoon rain set to increase the flooding he didn't believe there was any other way.

STANTON: There's no sort of scientific knowledge of anyone being sedated underwater. We made the plan dispassionately. But that doesn't prepare you for the time when you suddenly sedated a boy, make them unconscious, put a mask on them, tie them up and drag them underwater. And that's when the responsibility of what we were doing really hit home.

RIDDELL: Stanton has described his extraordinary Thai cave experience in his autobiography Aquanaut. It's been vividly depicted in the documentary The Rescue, and he will soon be portrayed by the American Actor Viggo Mortensen, in the movie 13 Lives.

Some people think this was a miracle. What do you think?

STANTON: I'll stretch to as far as it was miraculous that all these things happen sequentially. But I would describe it as a collaboration between thousands of people. It was miraculous everything happened but I'm not declaring it a miracle.

RIDDELL: In helping to save those 13 lives, Rick Stanton's own life has been utterly transformed. He doesn't see the boys much anymore but he knows how grateful they are.

STANTON: Just the expression on their face when they cycled to the monastery where I met them and, you know, when they saw me, I think that says it all. They don't need to -- they don't need to say it in words.

RIDDELL: And he's got a newfound respect for the beautiful game.

STANTON: They were team before the rescue during and afterwards and that I think played a very big part in their own survival. We would actually dreading the fact that they might challenge us to a game of football and then it'd be hugely embarrassing because we would lose by a huge number of balls. (END VIDEOTAPE)

RIDDELL: I think that had gone easy on there. You can thrash the guys that rescue you. All right. That is just about for -- this edition of wall sport. I'm Don Riddell at CNN Center. But before we go, we'll leave you with our latest Rolex minute and I look ahead to the Rolex 24 Endurance Race at Daytona.

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