The pair are reigning world champions in the 500m speed skating events and will head into the Winter Olympics as leading contenders to win gold. Verheijen explained that it came as part of precautionary measures to protect against possible Covid-19 cases, which could disrupt their potential success at the Games. Chief de Mission and former aerial skier Alisa Camplin stated that no Australian athletes due to compete at the Games had tested positive. 'Such protocols have been in place for past Olympics, including the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Daily testing had occurred at the Games, with several medal contenders ruled out of their events having been confirmed to have tested positive for COVID.

Source: Daily Mail February 03, 2026 11:03 UTC