5 members of Canada's Olympic team placed under COVID-19 protocols in Beijing - CBC Sports | Canada News Media
Connect with us

Sports

5 members of Canada's Olympic team placed under COVID-19 protocols in Beijing – CBC Sports

Published

 on


Five members of Canada’s Olympic delegation were placed under COVID-19 protocols upon arrival in Beijing — although it’s unclear whether than means they tested positive and are in quarantine.

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said it would not be sharing names “because there will likely be persistent shedders,” meaning people who continue to test positive for the virus long after their initial diagnosis.

“We are following the Beijing 2022 playbook rules,” COC said a statement. “Part of our strategy was to arrive early to allow time for confirmation testing and, if necessary, the medical expert panel process to unfold.”

The full Canadian delegation currently on the ground in China consists of 246 people. The COC did not specify whether any of the 215 athletes on the team were in protocols. Canada is bringing a delegation of around 600 people to the Games, including athletes, coaches and staff.

WATCH | Canadian athletes arrive in Beijing:

Canadian athletes arrive in Beijing for Winter Olympics

1 day ago
Duration 1:38

With the Winter Olympics set to begin in a few days, Canadian athletes have begun arriving in Beijing in preparation for the Games. 1:38

The COC said it would work with athletes to release specific names in the event a positive test makes them unable to compete. It plans to release daily updates on the number of team members in protocols.

“Our success at the Games will be measured by the health and safety of Team Canada and on the ability for athletes to step on the field of play and live out their dreams,” said Eric Myles, the COC’s chief sport officer, in a press release.

“We look forward to the incredible and inspiring stories that will come from these Olympic Games.”

Athletes were required to provide two negative COVID-19 tests within 96 hours of boarding the plane to China, plus one more upon arrival. Much of the Canadian contingent began to arrive in Beijing on Thursday.

On the flights, athletes were grouped together by sport in order to remain within the bubbles in which they’ve been living and training. There were empty seats between each athlete and an empty row between sports, since those within two rows of someone who tests positive count as “close contacts,” per the Olympic playbook.

The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics takes place next Friday, with competition slowly starting earlier in the week.

3rd-largest Canadian Winter team ever

The 215-athlete team marks Canada’s third-largest for a Winter Games.

It’s led by short track speed skater Charles Hamelin, who at 37 is set to compete in his fifth and final Olympics.

The decorated athlete from Sainte-Julie Que., is one of 45 Olympic medallists on the team looking for another trip to the podium. With one more medal, Hamelin would tie fellow speed skater Cindy Klassen as Canada’s most decorated Winter Olympian and Andre De Grasse as the country’s most decorated male Olympian. Two medals would push Hamelin into a tie with Penny Oleksiak for most won by a Canadian Olympian.

Charles Hamelin, seen above in November, is aiming for his sixth career Olympic medal in Beijing. (Zsoly Czegledi/The Associated Press)

Of the athletes heading to China to compete, 106 identify as female, the most ever in Canadian Winter Olympic history.

Sixteen-year-old snowboarder Brooke D’Hondt will be the youngest athlete competing for Canada at the games and is among 117 who will be making their Olympic debut.

Curler Jennifer Jones, who won gold in 2014, is the oldest Canadian athlete at 47 years of age.

“Getting to my first Olympics was a dream come true, so to have a chance to play again, and wear the Maple Leaf, is a privilege and one that I’ll never take for granted,” Jones said.

Ontario will be best represented on Team Canada with 60 athletes, with Quebec not far behind with 57.

Alberta will have 40 and British Columbia is sending 32.

No other province or territory will have double-digit athletes. Manitoba has nine, Saskatchewan has six, Nova Scotia has four, Newfoundland and Labrador have three, and New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Yukon each have one athlete.

Nunavut and the Northwest Territories do not have an Olympic representative and one athlete, figure skater Keegan Messing, was born outside of Canada (Alaska, United States).

Adblock test (Why?)



Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Red Wings sign Raymond to 8-year, $64.6 million contract

Published

 on

 

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Lucas Raymond to an eight-year, $64.6 million contract Monday, completing a deal with one of their best young players less than 72 hours before training camp begins.

Raymond will count $8.075 million against the salary cap through 2032. The 22-year-old was a restricted free agent without a contract for the upcoming NHL season and was coming off setting career highs with 31 goals, 41 assists and 72 points.

The Red Wings have another one of those in defenceman Moritz Seider, who won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2021-22.

Detroit is looking to end an eight-year playoff drought dating to the Original Six franchise’s last appearance in 2016.

Raymond, a Swede who was the fourth pick in 2020, has 174 points in 238 games since breaking into the league.

AP NHL:

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Cousins caps winning drive with TD pass to London as Falcons rally past Eagles 22-21

Published

 on

 

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kirk Cousins led a flawless last-minute drive for Atlanta and connected with Drake London for a 7-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left to give the Falcons a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

Saquon Barkley dropped a short pass that stopped the clock with 1:46 left and forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal instead of a game-sealing first down. That was plenty of time for Cousins — especially against an Eagles defense playing soft coverage with a nonexistent pass rush.

The 36-year-old veteran, playing his second game since tearing his Achilles tendon last Oct. 29 while playing for Minnesota, shook off an uneven effort and hit Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards on consecutive plays during the decisive drive.

Cousins found London on a short pass to his right for the tying score, and Younghoe Koo put Atlanta (1-1) on top with a 48-yard extra point after London was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The go-ahead drive took just 65 seconds.

Jalen Hurts had his final pass intercepted by Jessie Bates III to seal Atlanta’s win and set off a wild celebration on the sideline.

The Eagles (1-1) went ahead on Hurts’ 1-yard tush push score with 6:47 left. Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries in his home debut for Philadelphia, but his drop provided the Falcons with some hope.

And then Cousins started playing like the QB Atlanta thought it was getting when it signed him to a four-year, $180 million contract.

Cousins finished 20 of 29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Atlanta’s first TD was a 41-yarder from Cousins to Mooney, who finished with three catches for 88 yards.

Hurts was 23 of 30 for 183 yards, including a touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. With No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown out with a hamstring injury, Smith led the Eagles with seven catches for 76 yards and a score.

Jake Elliott kicked two field goals for the Eagles. His 28-yarder with 1:39 left made it 21-15.

Atlanta kept stalling in the red zone, getting three field goals from Koo, before Cousins fired over the middle to Mooney, who shook loose from C.J. Gardner-Johnson and left him on the turf before he somersaulted into the end zone with 1:21 left in the third quarter for a 15-10 lead. Cousins failed on the 2-point conversion pass.

Hurts had some juice in his step during a second-quarter TD drive, running with abandon for big plays much like he did in the 2022 season. He spiked the ball in a rare, raw show of emotion on a 23-yard run, earning a delay-of-game penalty. He shrugged off the 5-yard setback and scrambled for 9 yards and 15 yards to move the Eagles to Atlanta’s 19.

With comedian Shane Gillis and actor Bradley Cooper among the fans cheering on the Eagles, Hurts connected with Smith in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard TD that made it 7-3.

Under new defensive coordinator Vince Fangio, the Eagles have established an early knack for allowing long drives that end with three points instead of seven. Koo kicked field goals of 39, 22 and 34 yards, the last one enough for a 9-7 lead in the third quarter. In their opener, the Eagles held the Packers to just three field goals when they drove inside the 20.

Questionable call

Rather than take a chip-shot field goal from Elliott, the Eagles’ fourth-and-4 gamble at Atlanta’s 9-yard line in the first quarter failed when Hurts threw an incomplete pass.

Elliott kicked a 29-yarder with 4:31 left in the third quarter for a 10-9 lead.

Running wild

Bijan Robinson ran for 97 yards for the Falcons. The Eagles stuffed him late on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 39.

Barkley was quiet until the go-ahead drive, a week after he rushed for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns against Green Bay. Eagles fans booed when the opening drive of the game ended without Barkley touching the ball. They went wild when he had consecutive 9-yard runs to open the second drive. Barkley had 40 yards rushing in the first half.

Foles honored

Former Eagles QB Nick Foles, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title, served as an honorary captain and led the crowd in a rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”

Injuries

The Falcons played without LB Nate Landman (calf, quad).

Up next

Atlanta hosts Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sunday.

The Eagles play at New Orleans on Sunday.

___

AP NFL:

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Fernandez and Dabrowski headline Canadian lineup for Billie Jean King Cup Finals

Published

 on

 

TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.

The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.

Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.

Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.

“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”

Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.

Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.

Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.

Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.

Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.

Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version