U.S. Figure Skater Vincent Zhou Tests Positive For COVID-19 At Olympics

Team USA figure skater Vincent Zhou has tested positive for COVID-19, just days after the start of the Beijing Olympics. 

U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement the 21-year-old tested positive on Sunday as part of regular screening at the Olympics. He tested positive the same day that he competed in the men’s team free skate, in which he placed third, helping his team secure second place overall on the second day of competition.

He is now undergoing additional testing to confirm the positive result, the team said. 

“If the results are negative, Zhou will be able to compete in the men’s short program, which begins Tuesday,” the team added.

CBS News has reached out to U.S. Figure Skating and Zhou’s team for additional comment. 

The men’s short program is set to begin at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday. Zhou is also scheduled to compete in men’s singles free skate on Wednesday night, local time.

Zhou’s teammate, Karen Chen, told Reuters that his positive test is “very unfortunate news.” 

“I train with him all the time, and I know he deserves to be here, to be in this moment with all of us,” Chen said. 

Zhou’s positive tests occurred amid strict Olympic COVID-19 precautions. Prior to even arriving in Beijing last week, athletes had to undergo a series of tests and two weeks of health monitoring. Once they arrived, they had to undergo another COVID test. 

This is the California native’s second Olympic appearance. During his first run in PyeongChang in 2018, the then-17-year-old was the youngest member of Team USA and finished The Games in sixth place, according to U.S. Figure Skating. 

Zhou told U.S. Figure Skating’s Fan Zone website that his previous Olympic accomplishment was “an unexpected and really good finishing spot” for him. 

“I think now the field is even deeper, and while I’ve gotten better, so has everyone,” he said last week. “Just because I’ve taken a step up this season doesn’t mean I’ll magically move up from sixth place. I have to work for every single point that I’m going to get.”