Chinese skating female athlete Liu Meixian missed the Beijing Winter Olympics because of the new crown. The picture shows her excellent rotation in the short song project. (Associated Press)

The U.S. Figure Skating announced on the 7th that Chinese athlete Liu Meixian (Alysa Liu) has been diagnosed with new crown pneumonia and will withdraw from the National Skating Championships, but still has a chance to compete in the Beijing Olympics.

Liu Meixian, who is only 16 years old, is known as one of the most promising players in the United States. She has won the 2019 and 2020 national championships; before the diagnosis, Liu Meixian won the third place in the short program on the 6th. She immediately went to Nashville, Tennessee to participate in the Free Skate championship.

Liu Meixian was also the second major player to be forced to withdraw from the national competition. Another pair of duo Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier were forced to withdraw from the competition on the evening of the 5th, because Frazier did.

This week, all athletes must present a negative test certificate for new crown pneumonia on arrival before they can enter the competition. However, the Skating Association also required a second quick screening during the competition, and Liu Meixian's quick screening result on the 7th showed positive.

Liu Meixian wrote on her personal social platform Instagram: "I have completed the vaccination, and I wear an N95 mask wherever I go; before I left Nashville, my two screening results were negative. Unfortunately, it happened. I am very grateful to the organizer for careful prevention of the epidemic, so that every player can compete in a safe environment. I am in a good psychological condition now, and I wish all the girls who participated in the competition all the best! Thanks for your support."

Even if the diagnosis is confirmed, Liu Meixian's chance of entering the Olympic team is still very high; according to the rules of the Skating Association, athletes who do not perform well in the national competitions can still petition the US Figure Skating's International Committee and state that they are healthy Situation; Knierim and Fraser are likely to adopt the same approach, and the chances of selection are very high.

The American Figure Skating Association will announce the list of three women participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics on the afternoon of the 8th.

(Source:  Compiled from World Journal)