Bummer news, two-time Olympic snowboard medalist and nine-time X Games gold medalist Mark McMorris will sadly be sitting out this weekend’s X Games Aspen competitions after testing positive for COVID-19.
ESPN reports McMorris tested positive on Friday after returning home from the Laax Open FIS Snowboard Slopestyle and Halfpipe World Cup in Switzerland. While in Laax, two members of Canada’s snowboard delegation tested COVID positive, which forced the entire Canadian men’s slopestyle team, including McMorris, into isolation and caused them to miss the event, which may have qualifying implications for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
McMorris tested negative while in Switzerland and was not deemed to be in close contact with those who tested positive. Upon his return to California, McMorris was retested Friday and received a same day positive result.
X Games Aspen, which will take place this weekend at Buttermilk Mountain is requiring athletes to provide a negative test within 72 hours of travel in order to be compliant with Pitkin County’s affidavit requirement. Participants must again test negative upon arrival to the X Games venue. Obviously Mark is out for the event.
McMorris is in quarantine at his home in Encinitas and is thankfully not currently experiencing any symptoms. He had this to say in a statement to ESPN:
“I’m definitely going to miss competing at my favorite event. I’m sending good vibes to all the riders and to the organizers who worked so hard to create a safe environment for everyone to compete under such difficult circumstances.”
