BEIJING, China — Before he left the Olympic ice, Keegan Messing looked up at the ceiling and heaved what sounded like a long sigh of relief.
The Canadian figure skating champion trained in Beijing on Monday afternoon, just five hours after he landed in China and less than 24 hours before he takes part in the men’s short program.
He got tested for COVID-19 when he arrived and boarded a bus that took him to his training with just minutes to spare.
The 30-year-old skater has been stuck in Vancouver for more than a week after testing positive for COVID-19. He had to provide four negative tests before being allowed to fly to Beijing.
According to Messing’s official twitter account, his mother Sally watched the practice live stream.
“She hasn’t seen Keegan in weeks,” the account tweeted. She then said “I’m in tears, I needed to see my son”. »
Flights from Canada to Beijing were long gone. Messing, who signed a first Canadian title last month in Ottawa, first had to fly to Montreal to undergo a fourth screening test. He then stopped in Milan, Italy, before ending his journey in China.
Skate Canada’s high performance director, Mike Slipchuk, joked that if there was ever an athlete capable of competing even after this kind of trip to Beijing, it was Messing. The latter is used to long journeys to competitions, he who lives in Alaska.
“Wherever (Keegan) goes, it’s a two-day getaway,” Slipchuk said. But Keegan and his trainer Ralph (Burghart) are very low key and they are determined to be here. »
Messing wears the colors of Canada, as his mother was born in Edmonton, Alberta. The men’s short program is Tuesday morning local time.
Messing’s positive test caused him to miss the team event, in which Canada finished fourth, on Monday. Roman Sadovsky, the silver medalist at the Canadian Trials, replaced him in the men’s programs.
