Canadian figure skater Keegan Messing's Olympics in limbo as he awaits negative COVID test results
Devin Heroux | CBC Sports | Posted: February 2, 2022 2:49 AM | Last Updated: February 2, 2022
Men's national champion remains in Canada days before competition begins
Canada's national champion in men's figure skating is at risk of missing the Winter Olympics.
Keegan Messing is still in Canada awaiting the necessary COVID testing results for travel to Beijing. All participants travelling to the Games are required to produce two negative PCR results before being able to board a flight.
"We are hopeful he will be able to travel soon. We will provide an update in the coming days," said Caroline Sharp, a spokesperson with the Canadian Olympic Committee.
"He's training right now, he's healthy, he's ready," Eric Myles, the COC's chief sport officer, told The Canadian Press. "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."
WATCH l Messing wins 1st career Canadian men's figure skating title:
Messing, 30, captured his first national title in early January. It was expected he would be participate for Canada in the team event, which begins Friday in Beijing, but 22-year-old Roman Sadovsky — Canada's other men's single entry who placed second at nationals — will get the nod, according to the CP.
The team lineup is expected to be announced Wednesday in Beijing.
The men's long program of the team event is slated for Monday, Feb. 7. Canada won gold in the team event four years ago in Pyeongchang.
A native of Girdwood, Alaska, Messing competes for Canada because his mom was born in Edmonton. He flew home to Alaska to train between the national championships and Olympics.
Messing made his Olympic debut four years ago in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where he finished 12th. He was sixth at the world championships last spring in Stockholm, and also won bronze at Skate America last season.