The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing came to an end on Sunday, but not all of the athletes attended the closing ceremony. American figure skater Vincent Zhou was not allowed to attend the event over COVID-19 protocols and vented his frustrations to his Instagram followers.

Following 16 days and 109 events, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics closed out with a traditional ceremony that Zhou thought he would be part of. When he tried to join his fellow athletes to attend the event, he learned he was barred from the closing cermony.

“Before boarding the bus to the stadium, they flagged me as a COVID ‘close contact’ risk and would not allow me to proceed further,” Zhou posted on his Instagram Story.

“I have tested negative 14 times in a row. I have antibodies and am not contagious whatsoever. I am 100% healthy and normal. I am double-masked and would be walking outdoors with the same people I am about to travel with in a couple of hours. Out of everyone marching, I would be the least at risk of transmitting to others.”

Zhou went on to reveal he was required to remove his mask to take the ice for an indoor gala earlier on Sunday, which had 40 other maskless individuals in attendance. “But it seems that being double-masked outdoors is riskier,” he stated.

On Feb.7, Zhou revealed he was in quarantine and would not be able to compete in the Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19.

The vibrant closing ceremony took place at the Bird’s Nest stadium, where Chinese President Xi Jinping was sat next to Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee.

The main stage consisted of 11,600 square meters of an LED screen, which appeared to resemble “a crystal clear ice surface” throughout the ceremony.

American bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor was selected to be the flag bearer for Team USA in the closing ceremony. The election marked the first time since 1948 that the U.S. selected an athlete as the flag bearer for both the Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies.

The U.S. took home a total of 25 Olympic medals, 8 gold, 10 silver, and 7 bronze. The U.S. placed fifth in total medal counts. Norway earned the most victories with a total of 37 medals earned, including 16 gold medals.

Fireworks explode over the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, at the end of the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, in Beijing, China February 20, 2022.
Fireworks explode over the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, at the end of the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, in Beijing, China February 20, 2022. Reuters / TYRONE SIU
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