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Nicolas Atkin

Belgian skeleton rider Kim Meylemans has thanked her fans and teammates for their overwhelming support after finally moving into the Olympic Village on Thursday.
The 25-year-old’s emotional video documenting her quarantine ordeal at Beijing 2022 went viral on Wednesday, prompting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to intervene.
Meylemans was given a room in the isolation wing of the Athletes’ Village in Beijing, where she was greeted with Team Belgium-themed decorations including the national flag.
“THANK YOU for all the support messages and love,” she wrote in a post on her Instagram story.

This is what many people feared. Tragic and terrifying. pic.twitter.com/mU9yZ3IiBb
— tariq panja (@tariqpanja) February 2, 2022

“It will take me a while to respond to it all but I’m on it and ‘luckily’ I have plenty of time in isolation still,” Meylemans added playfully.
“Just know each [message] made a difference for me.”
Meylemans also shared a video of Belgian Olympic athletes posting their own messages of support for her.




















View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Linde Merckpoel (@lindemerckpoel)



Beijing has imposed strict Covid-19 restrictions as part of its “closed-loop” policy for participants at the Winter Olympics.
Meylemans had tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in China last week, but was told she could leave hotel quarantine three days later after returning two negative PCR tests.
Rules state athletes in such circumstances can then observe Covid-19 close contact protocols, and move into the Olympic Village so long as they train alone, stay in a single room, eat alone, and travel alone for seven days.
But Meylemans was instead taken to another quarantine facility, where she broke down in tears while posting a video on Instagram updating her fans that she was told she would have to isolate for another seven days.




Her video quickly went viral with Belgium’s National Organising Committee and the Global Athlete organisation pressuring the IOC.
She later received a knock on her door soon before midnight, telling her she could now move into a room at the Village.
“It seems like the video and the efforts of my Olympic Committee have really paid off,” Meylemans said in a video update.
“At 11.35pm there was a knock on my door and I was escorted to the Olympic Village. I’m now in a wing that’s just isolation, but at least I’m back in the Village. I feel safe and I’ll be able to train a little better here.”


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Belgian skeleton rider gets room in isolation wing of Beijing 2022 Olympic Village after viral video documenting quarantine ordeal
‘I’ll be able to train a little better here,’ Meylemans says in video update



Belgian skeleton rider Kim Meylemans gets room in isolation wing of Beijing 2022 Athletes’ Village after viral video documenting quarantine ordeal.


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IOC (International Olympic Committee)