Speed skating-US skater Dawson touches down in Beijing after COVID testing woes

[February 08, 2022] By Sakura Murakami

BEIJING (Reuters) - American speed skater Casey Dawson touched down in Beijing for the Winter Games on Tuesday, just hours before he is due to race in the 1,500 metres, after confusion over COVID-19 testing requirements left him unable to travel with his team.

Casey Dawson competes in the Men's 5000 meter event during the 2022 US Olympic Trials - Long Track for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Pettit National Ice Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick McDermott-USA TODAY Sports

"Made it!" said Dawson in an Instagram story showing the interior of his room at the Athlete's Village.

Dawson had said on Thursday he would miss his individual races because of confusion surrounding travel requirements following a positive test last month.

He arrived more than a week after his team, having stopovers in Atlanta and Paris, according to U.S. media, and while he has already missed the 5,000m he is on the schedule to compete in the 1,500m at the Beijing Speed Skating Oval later on Tuesday.

Dawson had said the "general consensus" was that he would be able to travel with two negative tests but those requirements had changed to four.

"It's hard to trust anyone, even people in the highest of positions, when they can't even provide you with the correct information," he said.

He is a member of the world record holding U.S. team pursuit line-up and currently 25th in the International Skating Union World Cup rankings for the 1,500m.

(Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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