Bujold, Canadian teammates in isolation after training cut short due to COVID-19 case
Finally back training with teammates for the first time in months, and with an Olympic qualifying date set, boxer Mandy Bujold could see light at the end of the tunnel.
But Canada’s 11-time flyweight boxing champion and 18 of her teammates are in isolation after national team training in Montreal was cut short this week due to a positive COVID-19 test.
“It definitely stops momentum in the sense of everything was going really well in training and you start working towards something and you keep building on that,” Bujold said. “So, now obviously, not being allowed to be with my coach, or my training partners or anything like that, you’re really limited on what you can really do when you’re by yourself.
“In that sense it’s tough.”
The 33-year-old Bujold said she was in close contact on Monday with an athlete who subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. That athlete’s identity hasn’t been revealed. Bujold has tested negative twice since, but quarantine protocols stipulate she must isolate for 14 days from the date of contact.
Bujold said the boxers were working in small groups in Montreal.
She drove home to Kitchener, Ont., on Wednesday and is staying in a friend’s empty house there.
“It’s not fun but I guess it’s part of the process,” Bujold said. “It’s unfortunate the camp ended early. We didn’t get to do the test matches and the things we went there to do.”
A Boxing Canada spokesperson said they were informed of a positive COVID-19 test result at training on Monday, immediately halted all team activities and are awaiting further test results.
“This is an unfortunate situation,” the spokesperson said in an email. “However we were able to act immediately due to the protocols in place to ensure everyone’s health and safety.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, health and safety remains our top priority, and we are hoping for best case scenario for all athletes, coaches and support staff ahead of the Olympics.”