By Canadian Press

Canadian figure skater Messing awaiting negative COVID-19 tests in Canada

Feb 2, 2022 | 6:33 AM

BEIJING — Keegan Messing’s Olympic Games are in jeopardy.

The 30-year-old isn’t with Canada’s figure skating team at the Beijing Olympics, as he waits to clear COVID-19 testing to travel. 

The delay means Messing, who captured his first Canadian title last month, won’t be in Beijing in time for the team event, which begins with the short programs on Friday. The Canadian Olympic Committee hopes he’ll get the green light in time to skate in the men’s singles competition, which begins with the short programs on Tuesday.

“He’s training right now, he’s healthy, he’s ready,” said Eric Myles, the COC’s chief sport officer. “We have a series of plans that can go as far as coming in the night before and skating the day after. We will take it to the maximum to bring him here.”

Roman Sadovsky, Canada’s other men’s singles entry and the national silver medallist, will replace Messing in the team event, in which Canada is the reigning Olympic champion. 

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Myles said the COC is working on various travel scenarios for Messing.

“Right now, we have I would say a series of plans,” he said. “We know exactly when he’s skating. Different flights are possible. At the same time right now there’s one part we don’t control. It’s the testing.”

Messing clinched his second Olympic berth for Canada at the national championships last month in Ottawa, but with weather issues and flight cancellations, it took a marathon 33 hours and three flights to get from Anchorage to Canada’s capital for the event.

The native of Girdwood, AK., competes for Canada because his mom was born in Edmonton. He flew home to Alaska to train between the national championships and Olympics.

The COVID-19 virus has cast a cloud over the Beijing Olympics, as athletes self-isolated and crossed their fingers they wouldn’t test positive. 

The mantra among Canadian athletes has been: “Think positive. Test negative.”

The Canadian Olympic Committee announced Wednesday that no athletes, and just one member of Canada’s 414-member delegation of athletes, coaches and staff were in COVID-19 isolation in Beijing.

The virus impacted the Canadian championships last month, particularly in men’s singles skater. Stephen Gogolev, who won silver at the 2019 nationals when he was just 14, was forced to withdraw after testing positive upon arrival. And Nam Nguyen, the 2019 Canadian champion, was struggling barely a week after contracting COVID-19. He finished sixth. 

Vanessa James and Eric Radford struggled to fourth in the pairs short program after being diagnosed with COVID-19 two weeks earlier. They withdrew from the long program, but were named to Canada’s Olympic team based on their season results.   

Messing made his Olympic debut four years ago in Pyeongchang, where he finished 12th. He was sixth at the world championships last spring in Stockholm, and also won bronze at Skate America last season. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2022.

Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press