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Belgian skeleton racer Kim Meylemans has been free of an isolation facility in Beijing following a plea for assist in a tearful video posted on Instagram.
Meylemans confirmed that she now felt “protected” on the Olympic village after the Belgian Olympic Committee and the IOC stepped in once they realized she had wrongly been taken by ambulance to a second authorities facility and was informed she must isolate for 14 extra days on account of Covid-19 considerations.
The Belgian examined optimistic for the virus upon her arrival in China, which meant she needed to enter isolation and return a number of damaging exams earlier than being cleared to maneuver into the Yanqing Olympic village.
She thought that was occurring Wednesday and boarded an ambulance for what she thought was a trip to the village.
“However the ambulance went to a different facility,” Meylemans mentioned in an Instagram submit that shortly captured consideration and raised questions on how her psychological well being was being affected by the saga.
In a video replace on Wednesday night Meylemans, 25, added: “At 11.35pm there was a knock on my door and I used to be escorted to the Olympic village. I’m now in a wing that’s simply isolation, however not less than I’m again within the village. I really feel protected and I’ll be capable of practice a little bit higher right here.
“It looks like the video and the efforts of my Olympic Committee have actually paid off.”
Meylemans was 14th in her debut Olympics at Pyeongchang in 2018, however is predicted to be extra of a contender on the Beijing Video games. She has one medal from World Cup races this season, a bronze, and was no worse than sixth in 5 of the ultimate six races on the circuit this season.
“Relieved to listen to that Kim Meylemans is now within the Olympic village,” IOC spokesman Christian Klaue tweeted. “We’re glad that every one the efforts led to the profitable decision of this example.”
Meylemans will now keep in an remoted room and nonetheless wants seven days of testing earlier than she could be launched from that wing. Nonetheless she ought to be capable of start observe for the ladies’s skeleton, which begins subsequent week, earlier than the competitors begins on 12February.
Earlier Rob Koehler, the director normal of International Athlete, an organisation geared to serving to athletes, referred to as Meylemans’ remedy “completely unacceptable”.
“She ought to by no means should endure these situations,” he added. “The IOC is failing athlete rights.”
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