Third U.S. Olympic bobsledder tests positive for COVID-19 before Beijing Games

BEIJING – The Winter Olympic opening ceremony is just three days away and the U.S. Bobsled team is struggling with several COVID-19 infections among its athletes.

This includes decorated bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, who announced on Twitter Tuesday, that she tested positive for COVID two days after arriving in Beijing on Jan. 27.

Meyers Taylor, who is 37 and a three-time Olympic medalist, said getting to this year's event as a new mom "has been the most challenging." Testing positive for COVID has made it all the more difficult.

She is one of three confirmed U.S. bobsledders to test positive for the virus just days before the start of the Winter Games. Josh Williamson, another U.S. bobsledder, revealed in an Instagram post that he, too tested positive for COVID last week.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Bobsled said, "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."

Under the rules for this year's Winter Games, participants who test positive for the coronavirus must be taken away to isolate until they receive two consecutive negative PCR tests. This is regardless of vaccination status.

A report from Yahoo News said the team is struggling with a larger outbreak of COVID-19 cases among coaches and trainers, too, which could threaten the team's chances to compete.

There is still a chance for Meyers Taylor and her teammates.

The Winter Games begin Feb. 4, but bobsled competitions don't begin until the second week of the Olympics — giving athletes more time to recover in time to participate in their events.

Though she is asymptomatic, Meyers Taylor must isolate until testing negative. For now, she is in an undisclosed hotel but staying optimistic.

She tweeted, "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."

NPR's Brian Mann contributed to this report.

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