University athletes across Canada wonB次元官网网址檛 be given the chance to compete for a championship this winter.
On Thursday, U Sports announced that it cannot offer the 2021 Winter National Championships due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
B次元官网网址淔ollowing consultations with the four conferences, we agreed that student-athlete safety remains our top priority,B次元官网网址 said Dick White, U Sports interim chief executive officer.
B次元官网网址淚t is not logistically possible for teams to be travelling across the country at this time. Therefore, U Sports is in the unfortunate position where we are unable to offer the 2021 winter championships.B次元官网网址
The impacted events include the womenB次元官网网址檚 and menB次元官网网址檚 championships in basketball, hockey, swimming, track and field, volleyball and wrestling. Curling Canada previously announced the suspension of the 2021 university championships.
Health and safety are the main reason for the cancellation.
B次元官网网址淚t is important to consider the impact on the under-30 university demographic,B次元官网网址 said Dr. Taryn Taylor, U Sports chief medical officer and representative on the Own the Podium Return to Sports Task Force.
B次元官网网址淎s the number of cases rise during the second wave of COVID-19, and without an available vaccine, on-going sports restrictions are required to ensure student-athlete health and safety.B次元官网网址
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Another critical reason for the announcement is the variety of local and provincial health restrictions facing championship hosts.
B次元官网网址淯 Sports is unique in that we offer nine winter championships in nine different parts of the country,B次元官网网址 said Lisette Johnson-Stapley, U SPORTS chief sport officer.
B次元官网网址淥ur hosts are facing a variety of challenges due to COVID-19, including travel restrictions and limits on public indoor gatherings that impact event planning. We look forward to providing the hosts of the cancelled 2021 national championships the opportunity to host in future years.B次元官网网址
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