American figure skater Vincent Zhou is out of quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 at the Beijing Games, and he plans to perform in the exhibition gala that traditionally closes the Olympic program on Sunday.
Zhou had just helped the U.S. win team silver on Feb. 7 when he got a phone call that he had tested positive. The timing of the result, the day before the men’s short program, left him no choice but to withdraw from the event.
Zhou said he didn’t watch it because “it was too emotionally difficult,” but he kept track of the results and was happy to see teammate Nathan Chen win the gold medal. He spent his time instead “watching Netflix for the first time” in an isolation hotel about 30 minutes from the Olympic Village.
Among those that reached out to Zhou was singer Josh Groban, whose music is used in his short program. Zhou said that made him feel “appreciated and supported” while he spent the long days locked in his room.