Report: Jake Gibb’s USA Beach Volleyball Partner Taylor Crabb Tests Positive For COVID-19
Jul 20, 2021, 10:39 PM
In this handout image provided by AVP, Taylor Crabb competes against Nick Lucena (not pictured) and Phil Dalhausser (not pictured) in the final during the Wilson Cup on July 26, 2020 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Mpu Dinani/AVP via Getty Images)
(Photo by Mpu Dinani/AVP via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – USA Beach Volleyball Olympian Taylor Crabb – who is the partner of former Ute Jake Gibb has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
NBC4 News in Los Angeles is reporting that Taylor Crabb tested positive while in Tokyo, leaving Jake Gibb without a partner. According to NBC4 in LA, Taylor’s brother Trevor described the situation as “terrible.” Trevor also said that Taylor is “fine and healthy and should be allowed to play in my personal opinion.”
NBC LA confirms the Men's Beach VB player to test positive in #Tokyo is Taylor Crabb, partner to Utah's Jake Gibb. USA Volleyball says they are working through protocols for an alternate athlete to compete. #TokyoOlympics @kslsports https://t.co/rm7CCxrF1m
— Shara Park (@KSLSharaPark) July 21, 2021
USA Volleyball confirmed that a member of their team has tested positive for COVID-19 but did not mention which athlete. According to KSL-TV’s Shara Park, USA Volleyball is working through protocols for an alternate athlete to compete with Gibb.
Gibb will be making his fourth appearance in the Summer Games. The first time he qualified was in 2008. Gibb and his partner Taylor Crabb have been playing together since 2017 and are ranked No. 8 in the world in beach volleyball. He reached the quarterfinals in his first Olympics, before a 5th place finish in 2012. After he won the FIVB tour after the 2012 Olympics, Gibb switched partners ahead of the 2016 games.
The first match for Gibb is scheduled for Sunday, July 25 at 7 a.m. MDT against Italy.
Click here for KSL Sports’ exclusive coverage of the Games.
Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.
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