Swimming Canada cancels 2021 national championships

Swimming Canada has announced the cancellation of multiple upcoming events, including the 2021 national championships.

The organization made the announcement on Friday, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as the main concern.

The 2021 Canadian masters swimming championships scheduled for May 21-23 in Quebec City, and the combined 2021 Canadian junior and senior swimming championships in Calgary July 26 to Aug. 2 have both been cancelled.

Swimming Canada CEO Ahmed El-Awadi said in a release that the pandemic led to numerous reasons why the events couldn’t be held, including health and safety concerns and the inability for many athletes to properly train this year due to restrictions.

Swimming Canada says it will continue to evaluate its plans for the rest of the year as further decisions are announced by national, provincial and municipal government health authorities. 

“Sadly, we are making another announcement about cancelling events, which has become all too familiar over the past year. That said, it is once again done with the health and safety of our swimming community, and the wider community, at the forefront,” said El-Awadi. 

“Due to the high number of participants expected at these events, it would not be possible to put the proper distancing protocols in place to ensure these events run safely. In addition, the amount of travel required to attend these events was a major factor in the decision.” 

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2021.

The Canadian Press