U.S. Olympic figure skater Vincent Zhou announced on Monday that he has to withdraw from the Winter Games’ men’s singles competition after a second positive COVID-19 test Sunday. Zhou, a two-time Olympian, was expected to compete alongside six-time U.S. champion Nathan Chen and two-time reigning Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu.
In an emotional Instagram post on Monday, the 21-year-old Zhou said, “Unfortunately, I will have to withdraw from the individual event. I have been doing everything in my power to stay free of COVID since the start of the pandemic. I’ve taken all the precautions I can. I isolated myself so much that the loneliness I felt in the last month or two has been crushing at times. ” The announcement came hours after earning the Olympic team event silver medal. On Sunday morning Beijing time, Zhou skated the long program for the United States, placing third of five skaters. The Americans won the silver medal Monday behind Russia.
This was Zhou’s second Olympics; back in 2018, he finished in sixth place.
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