Australian curler withdraws from Beijing Olympics with positive Covid test

The Australian Olympic Committee confirmed Tahli Gill returned a series of positive results late on Saturday.

Australia’s Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt have withdrawn from the Beijing Olympics (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

Australian curler Tahli Gill has become the first athlete to fail an in-competition coronavirus test and be forced to withdraw from the Beijing Olympics.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) confirmed Gill returned a series of positive results late on Saturday, and has subsequently been moved to an isolation hotel.

Gill and partner Dean Hewitt will forfeit their two remaining matches in the round-robin series of the mixed event. They had lost all seven of the matches they had played.

In a statement the AOC revealed Gill had tested positive prior to the Games but had been allowed to compete under close-contact restrictions.

The statement confirmed: “Tahli had previously contracted Covid prior to the Games.

“However, ongoing testing alternated between negative and positive. Fortunately, after discussions with the IOC and BOCOG, she had been free to compete under the Games’ close contact arrangements.

“Sadly, further successive positive tests have ended their Olympic campaign.”

The Australian pair played Britons Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds on Friday. It is understood to be unlikely that Gill’s status will impact their opponents, given she was already competing under close contact protocols.

Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission Geoff Lipshut paid tribute to Gill and Hewitt and said arrangements were being made to try to send the duo home as soon as possible.

We made the case that Tahli was at the end of the infection cycle but further positive results early this morning ended our hopes

Geoff Lipshut

“Tahli and Dean have made Australian Winter Olympic history and there were just two matches left on their program. It’s very disappointing, but we are realistic about the rules and we have always accepted those rules,” said Lipshut.

“We made the case that Tahli was at the end of the infection cycle but further positive results early this morning ended our hopes. Rather than remain in isolation, we now have the option of returning Tahli and Dean home.

“They have been absolutely magnificent in the face of difficulty. Four of their seven matches went right down to the wire against the very best of opposition. It was a disrupted campaign but a very brave campaign. We are very proud of them.”