Elana Meyers Taylor and Sylvia Hoffman of the United States compete during the IBSF World Championships 2021 Altenberg 2-Woman Bobsleigh competition on February 6, 2021 in Altenberg, Germany. Photo: Martin Rose/Getty Images
Three-time Olympic medalist Elana Meyers Taylor, 37, announced Tuesday that she tested positive for COVID two days after arriving in Beijing for the Winter Games.
Driving the news: At least three athletes on Team USA's Olympic bobsled team, including Meyers Taylor, have tested positive for COVID-19, just days ahead of the start of the Winter Games, NPR reports.
- That also includes Josh Williamson, who announced Sunday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
- "At this point, we believe all three will be able to compete, but we'll know more in a few days," a spokesperson for U.S. Bobsled told NPR.
- U.S. Bobsled did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment.
The big picture: Athletes who test positive for COVID-19 while at the Winter Games must isolate until they receive two consecutive negative PCR tests, according to the International Olympic Committee.
- Bobsled competitions begin during the second week of the Olympic Games, on Feb. 13, so the athletes who have tested positive have more time to recover before the events. They will, however, likely miss important training time on the course.
- The athletes' positive test results come after Yahoo News reported that the U.S. bobsled team is dealing with a larger COVID-19 outbreak, including multiple coaches and support staff.
What they're saying: "Getting to the Olympics is never easy, and this time, as a new mom, it has been the most challenging," Meyers Taylor wrote in a tweet.
- "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."
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