Russian figure skater Mikhail Kolyada will miss the Beijing Winter Olympics after testing positive for the coronavirus before a planned pre-Games training camp.
Kolyada, 26 and a three-time national champion, felt unwell a few days ago, according to Russia’s figure skating federation.
He will be replaced on the Olympic team by Yevgeny Semenenko, who joins Mark Kondratiuk and Andrei Mozalev to make up the Russian men’s team.
Kolyada, who was runner-up to Kondratiuk at Russian Nationals in December, missed the European Championships two weeks ago due to a foot injury.
Kolyada’s foot was not mentioned in the press release announcing his withdrawal from the Olympics after the positive COVID test.
Kolyada was eighth in his Olympic debut in 2018, then took bronze at the world championships the following month.
He was fifth at last season’s worlds and ranks seventh in the world this season by best total score in international competition.
Kolyada was a long shot for a medal in the men’s event but could have contributed in the team competition, where Russia, competing as the Russian Olympic Committee, is a big favorite thanks to its strength in the other three disciplines.
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