Australia’s first curling pair of Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt looked set for an early flight home after Gill returned a series of positive COVID-19 tests yesterday.
With Gill moved to an isolation hotel, the Australian Olympic Committee today announced that the pair would miss their final two round-robin matches and return home as soon as possible.
However, in a bizarre turn of events, the pair have been given a late reprieve and will now compete in their scheduled match against Switzerland this afternoon, following an urgent meeting of the Medical Expert Panel (MEP) in Beijing.
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The AOC received counsel from the Chinese Public Health System, advising that the team could continue under close contact provisions – the same arrangements Gill was previously being managed under.
Australian Olympic Team chef de mission Geoff Lipshut said Gill and Hewitt were excited to be able to resume their campaign.
“We are thrilled for Tahli and Dean and I am delighted that our headquarters team continued pressing her case, after earlier advice that the pair could no longer compete,” he said.
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