Hong Kong alpine skier Audrey King left quarantine on Thursday after she clocked two consecutive negative Covid-19 tests.
The 19-year-old, who tested positive for the coronavirus upon arriving in Beijing from the team’s training camp in Bosnia last Sunday, tested negative for a second time on Wednesday, but would continue to be tested in quarantine ahead of her event scheduled on February 9, both King and Hong Kong Sports Federation and Olympic Committee (SF&OC) confirmed with the Post.
Now out of her quarantine hotel and returning to the Olympic Village under close monitoring, the women’s slalom entrant was allowed to train in isolation with just days to spare for her Games debut.
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“I’m trying to remain positive,” said King, who previously said she had “no symptoms” and was “feeling fine”.
“I’ve been testing negative so I’m confident that I can be released and hopefully get back to training soon.
“Treating it as another bump in the road, and although definitely not how I expected my Olympic experience to start, I’m just happy and grateful that I was able to test negative so quickly.”
There are still hurdles to jump before King gets back on the slopes, however. The SF&OC outlined the strict Beijing Games protocol required, and what the representative trio can expect in the next few days.
“Close contact” teammate Adrian Yung Hau-tsuen and head coach Marko Rudic, who both tested negative at Beijing Capital International Airport, also tested negative.
“Yesterday [was] negative; we are waiting for other test results to be released,” an SF&OC representative said.
“According to the Playbook issued by the Olympic Committee, [King] is required to have two consecutive negative Covid-19 PCR test results with a sample interval of at least 24 hours to be discharged from isolation.
“Additional countermeasures that apply to close contacts will be adopted for seven consecutive days. She will take an extra Covid-19 PCR test six hours before competition. If the result is negative, she will be allowed to participate.”
Hong Kong is sending a total of 13 people, spearheaded by a record-breaking three athletes, as part of its Beijing Games delegation.
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Should she be cleared to compete, former Youth Olympian King will kick things off in the women’s slalom at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre next Wednesday.
Yung, a former junior British alpine champion, competes in the giant slalom on February 13, and men’s slalom on February 16.
Short-track speed skater Sidney Chu, who arrived separately from the skiers having travelled from Hong Kong on January 27, will compete at the Capital Indoor Stadium on February 11.
The Games run from February 4 to 20.
