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A U.S. speedskater, kept at home by Covid tests, hopes to make it to Beijing.

Casey Dawson, an American speedskater, first tested positive for Covid-19 three weeks ago. What followed has been “an emotional roller coaster,” he said.

Dawson, a 21-year-old from Salt Lake City, has been competing in speedskating for more than a decade and had qualified to compete in the 5,000-meter and 1,500-meter individual races at the Beijing Games.

Dawson experienced no symptoms. Yet in the subsequent weeks, his polymerase chain reaction tests — negative results are required for entry into China — kept returning positive results.

After producing two consecutive negative tests, he thought he might be able to fly out on Friday.