Kara Eaker.Photo: Francois Nel/Getty
Team U.S. women’s gymnastics alternateKara Eakeris still in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.
In a new health update, USA Gymnastics vice president Annie Heffernon said that Eaker — whose test results were announced on Monday — is doing well physically, according to theAssociated Press.Additionally, fellow alternate Leanne Wong, who has tested negative for COVID-19, remains in quarantine. It remains unclear if either gymnast will be available to compete for Team USA if needed.
“We’re devastated for them,” Heffernon said of the pair, calling the situation a “nightmare scenario.”
“Of course, it’s not anything we dreamed of happening or wanted to happen. And it was a rough 36 hours, I’m not going to lie,” she added. “It was difficult for everybody. It was hard for me. It was hard for the athletes. It was hard for the staff.”
“That was super sad news,” she said, adding that fortunately, all 6 members of the team “are good.”
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“There was hope up to this point, even as an alternate,” he toldKSHB. “Now that the results have come back, that hope is gone.““I feel bad for her, because like I said, she’s trained most of her life for this,” he added.
Eaker’s mother Katherine added that she felt “incredibly thankful that we got her vaccinated” because she’s asymptomatic.
“Everyone is telling us — all the medical people are telling us — that’s to her benefit,” she said of the vaccine. “If there’s something I could tell everybody: Take this seriously.”
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Kara Eaker.Marijan Murat/picture alliance via Getty
Eaker isone of 91 reported casesof COVID-19 connected to the pandemic postponed event, the AP reported.
To learn more about all the Olympic hopefuls, visitTeamUSA.org. The Tokyo Olympics begin July 23rd on NBC.
source: people.com
