Defending champion Viktor Axelsen is out of the 2021 European Championships after he tested positive for Covid-19 in a second confirmatory test that was taken yesterday evening. 

His teammate Anders Antonsen will become the new European Champion through an uncontested final.

The two-time European champion said, “I’ve been tested throughout the entire week, and haven’t had any symptoms. I still don’t.

“I got another (second confirmatory) PCR test yesterday evening, however my retest results just got in and the test (result) is positive.

“But don’t worry, I’ll keep my head high and obviously the risk of traveling around the world nowadays (is high) and right now I just hope that I can get over this quickly and travel back home when it’s safe for me to travel.

“Congratulation to AA (Anders Antonsen) on the gold medal and thanks for all your support.”

Axelsen will need to produce a negative test result at the end of his two-week quarantine in Kyiv, Ukraine to be able to return home to Denmark.