Aussie athlete freed to compete after Winter Olympics backflip

Aussie skier Katie Parker has been cleared to make her Olympic debut after a secondary Covid-19 cleared her to compete in the women's slalom at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Wednesday.

Parker was set to depart the US for Beijing to compete in her first slalom event at the Olympic Games when testing positive for Covid-19.

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She then tested negative and was cleared to travel before disaster struck.

"It's been a log two weeks but I am going to the Olympics," she wrote on Instagram.

However, the 23-year-old received another Covid-19 positive test on arrival in Beijing and was forced to go into isolation to await the result of follow-up PCR tests.

A negative outcome was her only hope, with the slalom starting at Yanqing national alpine centre at 1150am local time (1450 AEDT).

But in a fortunate outcome for the debutant, the Australian Olympic Committee said the 23-year-old had tested negative in the secondary test, allowing her to compete.

Chef de mission Geoff Lipshut said it was a huge relief.

"We are thrilled for her after a very difficult ride," Lipshut said from Zhangjiakou.

"It's a big ask for her today to step up to this level of competition off the back of this whole experience but she has shown incredible mental toughness and determination.

"She stepped onto that plane knowing there was a real possibility she may be positive at the other end, but here we are this morning waking up to news that further resting has come in negative.

"We wish her all the very best today. She will become an Olympian and we are delighted that this dream can come alive."

Katie Parker's Covid-19 ordeal

Based in Utah, Parker contracted the virus last month and hasn't been able to train on the snow for the past two weeks.

Parker already missed the giant slalom after she had to delay her planned flight from her US base.

She was unable to produce two negative tests within a 48-hour period, which is required by Games officials for entry into China and their Olympic bubble.

The Olympic test regime has a lower threshold for a positive test than in Australia or the US.

Australian curler Tahli Gill, who had COVID-19 in December, continued to produce positive and negative results while in Beijing.

The four-person alpine team was already without Madison Hoffman, who suffered a knee injury while competing last month.

with AAP

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