A top pair of skaters are out of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships after one of them contracted the coronavirus.
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, who are previous U.S. champions, both announced in separate Instagram posts that Frazier contracted COVID-19 and they would no longer be able to compete Thursday.
Frazier said he developed severe symptoms on Tuesday and got a positive test, despite recently getting the booster shot.
“Of course safety is the top priority for everyone at the event, so we had to withdraw,” Frazier said. “Although my symptoms are pretty bad, nothing sucks more than not being able to compete.”
Knierim said in her own post it was “devastating” having to withdraw, as the pair did everything they could not to contract the virus.
“We have taken all the necessary precautions leading up to these Championships, including but not limited to social distancing, the use of KN95 masks and canceling all holiday gatherings as well as private lessons at the rink,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Brandon and I have accumulated an extremely strong body of work that positions us at the top of the field nationally and we are not letting go of our Olympic dream,” she added.
COVID-19 cases have risen across the country and the world in recent weeks due largely to the omicron variant, which is more infectious than previous strains.
China has been taking a strict approach to the coronavirus ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics, shutting down cities with millions of residents over relatively small outbreaks.