American swimmer Lydia Jacoby has returned home to Alaska after clearing quarantine in Abu Dhabi amid the country’s COVID-19 protocols. She withdrew from the meet on Saturday, the 3rd day of competition, after only swimming in the 200 medley relay.
While USA Swimming was initially tight-lipped about details on the quarantine of Jacoby and fellow teenage Olympian Katie Grimes, Jacoby has shared more information as to what happened.
Notably, she shared that she was a “close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual,” rather than testing positive herself. Jacoby says that after testing negative multiple times, she was “cleared to travel home without putting anyone at risk.”
“Although I unfortunately did not get the chance to finish the meet, I’m proud to have once again represented Team USA, and even earned a spot on the podium with an amazing group of women.
“It certainly was not the week I’d planned, but now it’s time to reset, refocus, and start off 2022 strong.”
Jacoby and 15-year old Katie Grimes were both quarantined in accordance with World Championship COVID-19 protocols. USA Swimming didn’t give any other information about whether one had tested positive or not, though they were the only two Americans who were forced out of the meet for protocols – three other American swimmers went home early in an attempt to avoid an infection that could quarantine them in the UAE through Christmas.
FINA did not make their COVID-19 protocols public, though individuals who tested positive have been told that they will be required to quarantine for 10 days. Jacoby’s post on Instagram that she was cleared to travel home came just 3 days after being pulled to quarantine as a close contact.
By comparison, Nigerian swimmer Philip Adejumo, who did not have contact with the official from the federation who tested positive but who was deemed a close contact anyway, says that he was required to quarantine for 6 days before returning to the United States, where he is a PhD and MD candidate at Yale University.
Adejumo said that he was allowed to return home whenever he wanted after 2 negative tests, but that he wasn’t allowed to leave the hotel unless he was going to the airport.
Jacoby, who is the defending Olympic gold medalist in the 100 breaststroke, finished 13th in the semi-finals of the 50 breaststroke, which meant she missed the final, and swam the breaststroke leg of the American 200 medley relay that earned silver.
She was also scheduled to race the 100 breaststroke individually and would likely have been a member of the American team in the 400 medley relay as well.
Feel bad for grimes having to spend Christmas in Abu Dhabi without family :(((
It def was grimes who had covid because Jacoby and her were roommates
Not necessarily. Jacoby could have been a close contact with anyone. You never know whos room she was hanging out in, even if Matt Sates wasn’t there.
Very true, close contact with same person at a meal, same massage therapist, etc. Hope both young ladies are healthy, safe and heading home for the holidays.
matt sates….?
All I’m saying is I’ve heard Matt Sates and Lydia Jacoby might be more than just competitors to each other…
They were never competitors in the first place
Except Grimes was unvaccinated and Jacoby suffered the consequences. Parents…
I felt like Jacoby threw Grimes a little under the bus with that IG post. Seemed like Jacoby and handlers trying to justify her release from Abu Dhabi while others similarly situated were detained. Something just seemed off to me. Hoping everyone is mentally and physically safe. It’s a long quarantine far from home for someone so young with a seemingly insulated existence. Sending good thoughts to you Katie.
Safer to be in Abu Dhabi than Las Vegas.
Naw, Lydia has every right to update friends, family, and fans that she’s home, as well as every right to post pictures from home on/around Christmas celebrations. It would come out eventually that she wasn’t stuck in Abu Dhabi for Christmas; I’m sure she’d be asked about it in an interview and at that point, it would seem like she’d been hiding something. She said nothing about Katie. Katie doesn’t post on social media often and honestly I don’t take silence from Katie to mean that she’s still in Abu Dhabi; she’s someone who might go home and not post about it, whereas Lydia posts regularly.
Huh??? How?
don’t break your wrist stirring the pot too hard
I don’t think I’m stirring the pot, people are entitled to opine respectfully on official press releases/legal statements posted on Instagram for the world to read. In this scenario, to me, by posting this Instagram press release, it was a defacto announcement that Grimes, a minor, was the one who had covid. I would caution anyone to proceed very carefully with information (even implied) when minors and their health/covid/ medical or other status is concerned. You can use lingo like “covid positive individual” all you want, but in the case at hand there are only two players and KG is a minor individual. So it felt off to me. Like I said in my original post, hoping everyone is safe… Read more »
Uh Jacoby is a minor too
Yes that’s correct so you look through her to the adult attorneys and PR people crafting her statement that basically identifies another minor in this manner. 2 wrongs don’t make a right. Blessings to all.
By posting that Jacoby cleared up what was happening with her but didn’t throw anyone under the bus… plus it’s not even bad to have covid like anyone could get it. And Jacoby could have gotten exposed anywhere
Why is the world any more or less entitled to know the COVID status of a minor? It’s still relevant to the possibility of spreading the disease.
Whatever your opinion, whether you think people should make their COVID status known or keep it private, I guess I don’t really get the difference whether it’s a minor or not. Should we be less critical of a minor not being careful and getting COVID than an adult? Probably. But…I dunno I don’t get the dichotomy.
Also, Lydia and Katie are BFFs and were roommates. I don’t think she would’ve posted without considering the implications on Katie, or checking with her. Besides, I also don’t think that the difference between “exposure and/or infected”… Read more »
You’re the only one posting that Grimes had Covid. Lydia’s statement didn’t say that and people with critical reasoning skills who know anything about international competitions/meets understand that the chances two roommates had the same exposure to a close contact is high. Katie’s participation in OW raised her chances of being considered a close contact as well. You’re the one throwing Katie Grimes under the bus, not Lydia.