Vincent Zhou, USA Determine Skater, Checks Constructive for Covid

Earlier than Karen Chen and the remainder of the U.S. group stepped onto the awards podium on Monday after successful the silver medal within the group determine skating occasion, she regarded for Vincent Zhou, her pal and coaching teammate.

“The place’s Vincent? The place’s Vincent?” she requested herself, pondering he was off to the facet lacing up his skates and would be a part of the silver medal successful group in a second.

She quickly discovered the unhealthy information: Zhou, who had competed within the males’s free skate the day earlier than, had examined optimistic for the coronavirus that morning. As a substitute of climbing the awards podium or posing for pictures together with his United States group, he was in isolation, awaiting his destiny.

If a subsequent take a look at got here again optimistic, he wouldn’t skate within the males’s particular person occasion, which begins on Tuesday, in accordance with U.S. Determine Skating. And he wouldn’t be a part of his teammates in accepting his silver medal at a ceremony on Tuesday, both. An alternate received’t be capable to take his place within the males’s singles occasion as a result of Zhou, 21, had already competed on Olympic ice, the skating federation mentioned.

“We simply really feel unhealthy for him not with the ability to share this second with us,” mentioned Brandon Frazier, who, together with his associate, Alexa Knierim, had been additionally members of the silver medal successful group. “Once you get held again from doing what you’ve been coaching to do your complete life, it’s a very powerful tablet to swallow.”

Frazier can empathize. He examined optimistic for the coronavirus at U.S. nationwide championships final month after waking up with signs. He needed to petition to be named to the Olympic group.

A number of of Zhou’s teammates mentioned they had been stunned to listen to that he had examined optimistic as a result of he, like so a lot of them, had been cautious to remain secure.

Zhou typically ate alone, they mentioned. He didn’t socialize with others within the widespread room he shared with different skaters within the Olympic Village. He wore N95 masks and sanitized his fingers. However even all of that may not have been sufficient to spare him from the virus. It’s that lack of management that has unnerved Olympic athletes who pleasure themselves on controlling so many issues to optimize their coaching.

“You’re on the mercy of that,” mentioned Jason Brown, who didn’t compete within the group occasion however will compete within the males’s singles occasion. “It’s powerful.”

Most of the American skaters wore two masks after the group finals on Monday, however most do eat within the cafeteria within the Olympic Village, with a whole bunch of different Olympians. Nathan Chen, the three-time world champion who’s the gold medal favourite within the males’s singles skating, mentioned the Individuals eat in a walled off space and that he pulls his masks down every time he takes a chew and rapidly pulls it again up when he chews as a result of “higher secure than sorry.”

“Clearly, all the pieces now could be simply hypothesis: When did he get it? Who did he get it from? Who has he been round?” Nathan Chen mentioned. “I personally have not likely been round him, and anytime I’ve been round, I’ve been sporting a masks.”

Chen added that he hopes Zhou’s subsequent take a look at comes again adverse so Zhou can compete in singles.

“I can’t even think about what it should really feel like,” he mentioned. “I’m pulling for him and hope that he may be capable to go on the market.”

On Monday evening, the results of Zhou’s second take a look at was nonetheless unknown or was not made public.