Belgian athlete’s quarantine saga underscores difficulties faced by athletes in pandemic affected Winter Olympics

In an Instagram post earlier this week, Belgian skeleton athlete, Kim Meylemans described her journey to the 2022 Winter Olympics as one, “through hell, back and through hell again.” She made these comments before her plea to be let back into the Olympic Village went viral on Wednesday.

Meylemans, an experienced slider who could challenge for a medal in Beijing, has faced an uphill battle against COVID-19 since the year began. She tested positive for the virus in early January, forcing her to miss two World Cup races as the Winter Olympics approached. In her original post, she stated, “I worked my ass off to get back in shape.”

The Belgian slider claimed she was tested “pretty much everyday,” since contracting the virus. She added she had produced twelve negative PCR tests in the two weeks before leaving to compete in Beijing. However, upon arrival in China, she was considered positive for the virus once more.

She said, “science proving that a PCR can detect viral residue long past a persons infection, seems to not matter at all,” on her social media.

The possibility of testing positive despite having contracted the virus weeks or months prior was a concern echoed by Jenise Spiteri when she was interviewed by Around the Rings earlier this month. Spiteri stated, “the fear, as someone who had it, [is] what if one of these tests picks up some of these dead cells from two months prior, and then I get pulled out of the Olympics.”

She added, “everyone is so paranoid, not for their own health, but just for the repercussions of what happens. What happens if you get to China, and you get this test, and then they put you in quarantine and you can’t even leave China for three weeks.”

The fears expressed by Spiteri weeks prior to the Games started to become closer to reality for Meylemans. On Wednesday, she posted a video message with an emotional plea to be allowed back into the Olympic Village after she was told she may remain in isolation outside the Village for an additional seven days.

In the video, Meylemans states, “some of you have read the good news that I was sent out of the isolation facility. We thought this meant I was allowed to return to the Olympic Village and will be treated, maximum, as a close contact.”

“On the way to the Village, we did not turn to the Village, but the ambulance went to another facility. Where I am now.”

In between sobs, Meylemans added, “my NOC got surprised by this decision as well. I am supposed to stay here for another seven days with two PCRs a day, and no contact with anybody else. I am allowed to slide alone. We are not even sure I will ever be allowed to return to the Village.”

She concluded, “obviously, this is very hard for me, so I ask you all to give some time to consider my next steps because I’m not sure I can handle 14 more days and the Olympic competition, while being in this isolation.”

Her video soon went viral, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) releasing a statement on Meylemans’ situation soon after. According to the Washington Post, the IOC stated, “Close contacts can train and compete, live in the Olympic Village, but need to be in a single room, transported alone and need to eat alone.”

“Since there was no such room directly available, she was temporarily accommodated in a hotel close to the Olympic Village. It is a facility which is dedicated to close contacts in order for them to meet all the criteria to continue to train and compete.”

“When the IOC learned about her personal situation after her arrival in the hotel, it took immediate contact with the NOC of Belgium to ensure that appropriate support was offered to her swiftly.”

“She moved to a single room in the Olympic Village at around midnight. We are glad that all the efforts led to the successful and swift resolution of this situation. The IOC will continue to support Kim Meylemans and the NOC.”

The Comité Olympique et Interfédéral Belge (COIB) released a statement as well, confirming that Meylemans left the quarantine hotel and arrived for her time in isolation at the Yanqing Olympic Village.

The COIB stated that Meylemans will continue to be treated as a close contact for the next sevens days, meaning that she will be allowed to train and slide alone, while also undergoing tests for the virus twice a day.

Olav Spahl, Belgium’s Chef de Mission for Beijing 2022, commented, “we completely understand Kim’s reaction. Our main concern was to get Kim to the Yanqing Olympic Village as soon as possible. So we’re very happy that it happened.”

He added, “We understand that COVID measures are necessary to preserve the safety and health of participants in the Olympic Games, but we believe that in this approach, the athlete must remain central. We continue to work tirelessly to continue to improve Kim’s situation and we remain in constant contact with her.”