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(Reuters) - The
Pan-American Canoe Sprint Olympic qualifiers scheduled for next
month in Curitiba, Brazil, have been cancelled due to concerns
over COVID-19, the International Canoe Federation (ICF) said
Friday.
The qualifying schedule for the Tokyo Olympics has been
seriously disrupted in the run-up to the Games, which were
delayed a year due to the novel coronavirus, and numerous events
have been cancelled or postponed as international federations
grapple with the pandemic fallout.
Fourteen places in the canoe sprint competition in Tokyo will be
determined by the ICF after discussions with the International
Olympic Committee (IOC).
"The increased COVID cases in the region had prompted the local
authorities to impose tougher restrictions, which meant COPAC
(Pan American Canoe Federation) could not hold the event safely
for the benefit of athletes and their teams and ensure a fair
and equal opportunity for all athletes to qualify," the ICF said
in a statement.
The ICF added that other continental qualifiers were still set
to go forward, including the slalom championships in Rio next
month.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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