Chilean taekwondo athlete first competitor to miss Olympics with COVID

FILE – Chile’s Fernanda Aguirre celebrates after defeating Panama’s Carolena Cartens in the Taekwondo Women’s Under 57kg Bronze Medal bout during the Pan-American Games Lima 2019, in Lima, on July 28, 2019. (Photo by Luis ACOSTA / AFP)

A Chilean taekwondo competitor has become the first athlete to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19 at the Games, officials said.

Later Wednesday, Dutch skateboarder Candy Jacobs described herself as “heartbroken” after she too was forced out.

Fernanda Aguirre had traveled to Japan from Uzbekistan, where she had been preparing for the Games, but tested positive on arrival.

“(She) is asymptomatic and in good health, but unfortunately will not be able to compete because the Japanese authorities impose a 10-day quarantine,” a Chilean Olympic committee statement said on Tuesday.

Aguirre has been moved to an isolation facility, as has her coach.

The 21-year-old, who won a bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games, said on social media she was “destroyed and very sad”.

Separately, Jacobs wrote on Instagram that she had “done everything in my power to prevent this scenario and took all the precautions”.

“Unfortunately I was tested positive for Covid-19 this morning, which means my Olympic journey ends here,” the 31-year-old said.

There have already been dozens of Games-related coronavirus cases, with the Olympics set to officially launch on Friday.

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