Figure skater Keegan Messing expected to arrive in Beijing a day before men's programCanadian men’s figure skating champion Keegan Messing has received two negative COVID-19 tests, and as he awaits the results of a third required test, the Canadian Olympic Committee is working on travel arrangements to get him to China in time to compete at the Beijing Games.

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Canadian men's champion missed men's short program of team competition

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Canadian men's figure skating champion Keegan Messing has received two negative COVID-19 tests, and as he awaits the results of a third required test, the Canadian Olympic Committee is working on travel arrangements to get him to China in time to compete at the Beijing Games.

Skate Canada confirmed that Messing, 30, is currently flying to Montreal, where he will have his final PCR test. From there, Messing would fly to Beijing with an expected arrival date of early Feb. 7 local time, allowing him to compete in the men's program.

The organization said Messing has received two negative test results but requires one more.

"Everywhere [Messing] goes is a two-day adventure," said Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada's high performance director. "But Keegan and his coach Ralph [Burghart], they're very low key and they're determined to be here."

Messing won his first national figure skating title in January, punching his ticket to Beijing 2022. But as he remains in Vancouver awaiting his test results, teammate Roman Sakovsky was pressed into action for the team skating event, which began Friday morning. Sakovsky placed eighth, and Canada sits in sixth place after the first three events.

WATCH | Preview: Olympic figure skating team event:

Preview: Olympic figure skating team event

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Slipchuk said Messing, who has no symptoms, spent the first few days in isolation running up and down the stairwell of his hotel at the Vancouver airport. An airport security guard had been assigned to him.

Private ice time was arranged for him so he could practise the last few days.

"So his last couple days has been full training and they're sending me videos, so they're keeping me in touch with what he's doing," Slipchuk said.

"By the time he gets here, it'll be just adrenaline because the men are done so quick. And that's the other thing, it's just our luck of the draw that the men happen to be the first event of these Games which they haven't been for forever. But this is part of it."

Sadovsky learned Thursday night he'd be stepping in for Messing.

"I was told to just stay ready, be prepared," Sadovsky said on the late notice. "All season I've been working towards the Olympic Games. I know the Games have a team event. It's a little bit of an endurance kind of weekend after all the programs. I came here prepared to do anything, really."

• Canadian figure skater Keegan Messing's Olympics in limbo as he awaits negative COVID test results

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Only the top five teams advance to the team figure skating final. The women's short program in the team competition goes Saturday, and marks Canada's last hope of moving on to the finals.

Canada won gold in the team event four years ago in Pyeongchang. 

Meanwhile, the men's individual competition begins on Feb. 8. 

A native of Girdwood, Alaska, Messing competes for Canada because his mother was born in Edmonton. 

Messing made his Olympic debut four years ago in Pyeongchang, where he finished 12th. He was sixth at the world championships last spring in Stockholm, and also won bronze at Skate America last season.

WATCH | Keegan Messing wins 1st national figure skating title:

Keegan Messing wins 1st career Canadian men's figure skating title

28 days agoDuration 7:26Keegan Messing claims the men's event at the Canadian National Figure Skating Championships with a total score of 258.03.Canada in battle to reach figure skating team event final as U.S. takes early lead

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