RELATED: McKayla Maroney Became an Olympic Icon a Decade Ago. See Her Now. Dutch Olympic skateboarder Candy Jacobs was placed in quarantine after testing positive for COVID on July 21. Sadly, she had to miss the street skateboarding event, a sport that’s debuting at the Olympics this year. As The Guardian reported, Jacobs shared a video where she detailed the experience in her quarantine room with no windows that opened. “Not having any outside air is so inhuman,” Jacobs said. She described the experience as “mentally super draining … definitely more than a lot of humans can handle.” She shared a photo of the quarantine room on her Instagram. RELATED: See These Olympic Gymnasts’ New Uniform, a Protest Against Sexualization. According to The Guardian, Jacobs said she had to protest in order for officials to let her have a moment of fresh air. After more than seven hours where Jacobs refused to move, officials finally allowed her to stand near an open window for 15 minutes while supervised. “Having that first breath of outside air was the saddest and best moment in my life,” she said. The time in quarantine took a toll on the athlete. She shared an Instagram post halfway through quarantine that read, “Losing weight, sleep, and my mind.” On July 28, as she neared the end of her quarantine, Jacobs said, “I will need some time to bounce back from this. Physically and mentally.” She thanked her followers for their kind messages and support in a video. ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb A post shared by Candy Jacobs (@candy_jacobs) Jacobs shared the news that she wouldn’t be able to compete in the Olympics on July 21. “I am heartbroken,” her post on Instagram began. She went on to explain that because she had tested positive for COVID, her “Olympic journey ends here.” Jacobs said she wasn’t experiencing any COVID symptoms. “I have done everything in my power to prevent this scenario and took all the precautions. Luckily we’ve been following the protocols, so my fellow skateboarders still get to shine bright,” she continued. “I will need some time to let my broken heart heal and recover from this. Let’s go Paris 2024.” RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. In light of COVID, this year’s Olympics have looked very different. Officials put strict rules in place to try to prevent cases like Jacobs’. During the Tokyo Olympics, medals are not allowed to be placed around winners’ necks as is custom, but rather presented to them on a tray. Additionally, The Playbook says that athletes can only use specific Olympic vehicles and are only allowed to see people on an approved list provided to officials. The only time players are allowed to leave the Olympic Village is to go to a select list of approved locations. All athletes must wear a mask and maintain six feet of distance from each other. RELATED: The Olympics Won’t Show This to Prevent Athletes From Being Sexualized.
