SYDNEY, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Three Australian skateboarding team members tested positive for COVID-19 after traveling to the United States for an Olympic qualifying event.
The three people include two Australian Olympic skateboarding hopefuls and their coach, who were part of an Australian contingent who flew to the US earlier this month for an Olympic qualifying event in Des Moines, Iowa.
However, as the three members tested positive, the entire Australian team was disqualified from the event because they were deemed close contacts of them, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Monday.
President of Skate Australia Karen Doyle told Xinhua that "following the third individual testing positive, the Park team were not permitted to take any further part in the event."
Debuting at the Olympics this year, skateboarding is split into two disciplines, the park and the street. The park event takes place in a hollowed-out typical skate park course, while the street competition features a straight course with obstacles to mirror a real street.
Skate Australia didn't unveil the names of the positive, but Charlotte Heath, a 13-year-old skater, confirmed her diagnosis on Instagram, saying she was "bummed about not being able to compete" in the US event.
Other members of the group have been isolated from those who have been tested positive and have each returned multiple negative PCR tests, media reports said.
Doyle also told Xinhua she believed Australia would still qualify nine or possibly 10 of the available maximum Australian Olympic Committee quota places for skateboarding at the Tokyo 2020. Enditem
