Femke Heemskerk will miss the Rotterdam qualifying meet in the Netherlands, which is scheduled for Dec. 3-6.
Heemskerk will miss because of COVID-19 contact tracing protocols. Her husband has tested positive for the virus, so she will be forced to miss the meet.
Heemskerk posted the news on social media.
“Bad news: Although all my covid-tests came back negative, my husband tested positive. Therefore I’m not allowed to race at the Rotterdam Qualification Meet 3-6 december. I’m very sad that I can’t defend my qualifications on the 50 and 100 free.
Especially being tested negative myself makes it extra hard to swallow. But I could possibly still be a risk for the other athletes. As always… I’ll be back,” she posted.
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Heemskerk had COVID-19 earlier in the year and had to miss the beginning of the International Swimming League (ISL) season that just completed in Budapest.
She helped Energy Standard to the International Swimming League final, scoring lots of points in the sprint freestyle events for the second season in a row. Heemskerk will look to make another Olympic team in 2021 as she remains one of the world’s best sprinters.
Heemskerk recently talked about how she has been able to stay consistent for so long, as she was a gold medalist in the 4×100 freestyle relay at the 2008 Olympic Games for the Netherlands alongside Inge Dekker, Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Marleen Veldhuis as it was the Netherlands first relay Olympic gold medal since 1936.
Femke Heemskerk was sixth in the 100 freestyle final at last year’s World Championships and she expressed her chances at a gold medal in next year’s Olympic Games (30:00) saying that if she gets a lane in the final she will have a chance.
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