CanadaB次元官网网址檚 womenB次元官网网址檚 junior field hockey team was stranded in Potchefstroom, South Africa with no flights home, after their World Cup, set to open Dec. 5, was cancelled.

Nora Struchtrup, a 19-year-old forward from Victoria, said the players first learned of the new Omicron variant over breakfast last Thursday. By the end of the day, the World Cup had been cancelled. Their coach Patrick Tshutshani gathered them in after practice to deliver the news.

B次元官网网址淲e were pretty sad,B次元官网网址� Struchtrup said. B次元官网网址淏ut we very much understand the decision, so no part of us ever doubted that it was the right decision.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淧retty devastated. I was pretty gutted,B次元官网网址� added Stefani Sajko, a 21-year-old defender from Victoria. B次元官网网址淥bviously, weB次元官网网址檝e all been working really hard towards this for a while.B次元官网网址�

The team has been in contact with CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Minister for Sport Pascale St-Onge, as well as the Canadian High Commission in Pretoria and the global field hockey federation, to help facilitate flights home.

But the new variant, which may be more transmissible, has prompted several countries including Canada to introduce travel restrictions focused on countries in southern Africa where community spread is known. The players donB次元官网网址檛 know when theyB次元官网网址檒l be boarding flights home, nor quarantine requirements they might face upon arrival.

But the players, who arrived in Potchefstroom B次元官网网址� about 120 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg B次元官网网址� on Nov. 23, said they feel safe where theyB次元官网网址檙e staying at North-West University. TheyB次元官网网址檙e being housed in small cottages and eat their meals together in a team B次元官网网址渂ubble.B次元官网网址� Every player is fully vaccinated; it was a team requirement to travel.

ItB次元官网网址檚 not the only place where the impact from the new COVID-19 variant is being felt in the sports world.

The Winter Universiade in Lucerne, Switzerland, was cancelled on Monday, less than two weeks before the Games were scheduled to open.

Canada was to send a team of 102 student athletes to the Games, in nine teams across seven sports.

The decision to cancel the Dec. 11-21 Games came after Switzerland imposed border restrictions on travellers from several countries where the new Omicron variant had been discovered.

Athletes from those countries would have been required to quarantine in Switzerland for 10 days upon arrival.

Organizers cited B次元官网网址渉ighly dynamic developments in the pandemic and related incoming travel restrictionsB次元官网网址� for the decision, saying in a statement that B次元官网网址渁s a result of these official restrictions, the Winter Universiade 2021 cannot now take place.B次元官网网址�

Students from more than 500 universities and more than 50 countries were scheduled to compete.

Canada was scheduled to compete in menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 hockey and curling, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, snowboarding and short track speedskating.

It would have been the first FISU Universiade since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 Summer World University Games in Chengdu, China were postponed to 2022.

The Omicron variant raises questions about the Beijing Winter Olympics, which open on Feb. 4.

While Canadian athletes must be fully vaccinated to compete, itB次元官网网址檚 not an International Olympic Committee requirement for participation. Also, Beijing is permitting spectators who live in China to attend the sporting events after Tokyo banned all fans at the Olympics this past summer.

B次元官网网址淚 think as a human IB次元官网网址檓 concerned about it obviously and what impact itB次元官网网址檚 going to have around the world,B次元官网网址� said Beijing-bound curler Brad Gushue. B次元官网网址淏ut as far as the Olympics, I think the COC (Canadian Olympic Committee) is going to make sure that we as athletes are safe.B次元官网网址�

Gushue and Jennifer Jones booked their Olympic berths at the curling trials that ended Sunday in Saskatoon.

Asked whether he believes the Games are in jeopardy, Gushue said B次元官网网址淚 certainly hope it happens to be honest. We had the unfortunate situation of winning the Brier right before the pandemic hit and we never got to go to worlds. So I donB次元官网网址檛 want to see that happen to us this time. So fingers crossed everything is going to go ahead.B次元官网网址�

Jones added that athletes have become accustomed to COVID-19 safety protocols.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been through this the last little while and we feel weB次元官网网址檙e taking precautions as a team to keep ourselves as safe as possible while weB次元官网网址檙e travelling and before events,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e just trying to take every precaution possible and the COC is doing a phenomenal job at ensuring that our health and safety is at the top of their minds.B次元官网网址�

Catriona Le May Doan, a two-time Olympic champion in long-track speedskating and CanadaB次元官网网址檚 chef de mission for Beijing, said the athletes are focused on preparing to compete.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檝e been through a year of COVID, theyB次元官网网址檝e been through the bubbles. They know that it can work. They know that they can compete and they know that they can succeed,B次元官网网址� Le May Doan said.

While daily cases rose to record-highs in Tokyo during the Olympics, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told The Associated Press that only around 400 cases were reported inside the Olympic B次元官网网址渂ubble.B次元官网网址�

The Beijing Paralympics open March 4.

B次元官网网址擫ori Ewing, The Canadian Press