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Winter Olympics: US Olympic star Shaun White still affected by COVID

Eddie PellsAP
US triple-Olympic champion Shaun White is still no certainty for a place in Beijing.
Camera IconUS triple-Olympic champion Shaun White is still no certainty for a place in Beijing. Credit: AP

Shaun White’s withdrawal from a key Winter Olympics qualifying event has come after he experienced lingering COVID-19 symptoms, including fatigue and shortness of breath, The Associated Press has learned.

A person familiar with White’s decision told The AP that White’s withdrawal from Saturday night’s US Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain does not impact his plans to compete in Beijing next month.

The person requested anonymity because White has not publicly disclosed the reason for his withdrawal.

Last week, White revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19 in December but had been cleared to ride in Mammoth Mountain and was on the mend.

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White, who had asthma as a child, said the virus was like “a lingering cold”.

 Shaun White.
Camera Icon Shaun White. Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
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White joined champion skier Mikaela Shiffrin and skater Alysa Liu on the list of high-profile Olympic hopefuls to contract COVID-19 in the lead-up to the games.

The US team has until January 21 to name the full snowboarding team.

Only one man, Taylor Gold, has secured a spot, but coaches can award up to three discretionary spots on the halfpipe team and White, a three-time Olympic gold medallist who is ranked 14th in the world, meets all the conditions to receive one.

White went through the first run of Saturday’s qualifying round and made it easily into the finals.

But when the finals started 35-year-old White -- who is hoping to compete in his fifth Olympics -- was a no-show.

US coach Mike Jankowski said White had aggravated an ankle injury, but the person who spoke to The AP said White’s ankle was not an issue and it was COVID-19 symptoms that led him to call it a night.

Shaun White.
Camera IconShaun White. Credit: Hugh Carey/AP

Jankowski did not immediately return phone messages left by The AP.

Despite White’s rough lead-up to the Olympics, It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the team would not give him a discretionary spot.

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