Dhe International Olympic Committee has intervened in the case of the Belgian skeleton rider Kim Meylemans and has assured the athlete, who was born in Germany, of continued support after her Corona odyssey. The IOC learned of Meylemans’ “difficult situation” and immediately contacted Belgium’s National Olympic Committee to provide her with rapid assistance, the IOC said. “The IOC will continue to support Kim Meylemans and the National Olympic Committee,” the statement said.
The 25-year-old athlete had tested positive for Corona when she arrived in China before the Olympics and was finally taken to the Olympic village in Yanqing after a turbulent day. A video of the athlete on Instagram had previously caused a stir in which she reported her experiences in tears. “I don’t know if I can last 14 more days at the Olympics if I’m in quarantine,” she said.
In her video released on Wednesday, Meylemans said she thought after three negative test results, “I should now be allowed to go to the Olympic Village. However, the ambulance drove to another facility, where I am now. I have to stay here for another seven days with two more PCR tests a day without contact with anyone else.” Meylemans, who started as a junior for Germany and has been on the Eiskanal for Belgium since 2014, only had a corona infection at the beginning of the year went through The women’s competition in skeleton will take place on February 12th, next Monday the first training run is on the program.
After Meylemans’ arrival and a negative result, a third test was positive again, after which she was taken to a quarantine hotel. After she was allowed to leave this accommodation on Wednesday, she was first taken to another quarantine location. She was not given a reason for this. In the meantime, however, she is in the Olympic village, as the Belgian team announced. There she will be taken to a separate room and tested twice a day. She can also train in isolation on the track.
The IOC said Meylemans, as a close contact, had to be accommodated in a single room, move about in isolation and eat alone. Because there was initially no room for the Belgian, she had to be temporarily accommodated in a hotel near the Olympic village. She is now in the Olympic village in Yanqing, where the skeleton competitions take place. “We are glad that the efforts have led to a successful and quick solution,” said the IOC.