Beijing Olympics: Canada down to 1 athlete in COVID-19 protocols

Just one member of the Canadian Olympic team in Beijing was in COVID-19 protocols on Wednesday, down from three members a day earlier.

The 414-member Canadian delegation includes athletes, coaches and team staff.

The individual is in protocols that “impact their ability to fulfil their role at Games,” the Canadian Olympic Committee said in a statement.

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“We are managing each one on a case-by-case basis and to respect the privacy of the people involved we will not be sharing names at this time,” the COC’s statement said. “Part of our strategy was to arrive early to allow time for confirmation testing and, if necessary, the Medical Expert Panel process to unfold.”

The COC said it would respect an athlete’s privacy and not announce their names without consent.

Keegan Messing is not with Canada’s figure skating team in Beijing. The 30-year-old from Girdwood, Alaska, is still in Vancouver awaiting negative COVID-19 tests that will clear him for travel.

Messing competes in men’s singles next week, but also in the team event that starts Friday.

Athletes who tests positive in China must produce two negative tests 24 hours apart to be released from isolation.

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