Top US bobsledder tests positive for COVID-19

U.S. Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor on Tuesday announced that she tested positive for COVID-19 upon arriving in Beijing to compete in the Winter Olympics. 

“I am asymptomatic and currently at an isolation hotel- and yes I am completely isolated,” Meyers Taylor said in a tweet.

“Getting to the Olympics is never easy, and this time, as a new mom, it has been the most challenging, but also, incredibly rewarding, to be able to show that it can still be done,” her statement added.

Meyers Taylor, a 37-year-old three-time Olympian, said she arrived in Beijing on Jan. 27 and tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 29. 

“This is just the latest obstacle that my family and I have faced on this journey, so I’m remaining optimistic that I’ll be able to recover quickly and still have the opportunity to compete,” she also said.

Her announcement comes just days before the Olympics are set to begin on Feb. 4. However, bobsled competitions are not scheduled until the second week of the competition. 

Meyers Taylor is one of three U.S. bobsledders confirmed to have tested positive for the virus. 

Josh Williamson, another American bobsledder, shared on social media that he tested positive last week.

“Isn’t it ironic that after 4 years of hard work, all there is to do is sit, rest, recover and have faith? Things I struggle to do the most,” Williamson said in his post.

“I hope I get the chance to compete for you all,” he added.

“We have one other athlete that has tested positive. At this point, we believe all three will be able to compete, but we’ll know more in a few days,” a spokeswoman for U.S. Bobsled told NPR.