U.S. Olympic figure skater and medal contender Vincent Zhou tested positive for Covid-19, officials said Monday, and won't be able compete in the men's individual competition at the Beijing Winter Games.
Zhou appeared shaken as he took to Instagram on Monday to reveal the news.
"It seems pretty unreal that of all the people it would happen to, (it'd be) myself," said Zhou, who appeared to be in a hotel room as he spoke directly into a camera.
"That's not just because I'm still processing this turn of events but also because I have been doing everything in my power to stay free of Covid since the start of the pandemic. I've taken all the precautions I can. I've isolated myself so much that the loneliness I've felt the last month or two has been crushing at times."
Zhou fought back tears throughout his 5-minute video address and called himself an "emotional wreck."
Earlier Monday, Team USA captured silver in the team competition.
"I’ve already lost count of the number of times I’ve cried today," he said. "But I’m happy to say that at least one of those times was happy tears. That was when I found out that I became an Olympic silver medalist."
The positive result came during routine screening for competitors, the U.S. Figure Skating association said in a statement early Monday. Officials had held out hope that could have been a false positive.
“Under the guidance of the [United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee] medical staff, Zhou is undergoing additional testing to confirm his status,” the statement continued.
