US Sailing cancels qualifier events

The 2020 Finn and 470 World Championships won’t happen this year.

BRISTOL, Rhode Island—Two Olympic qualifying regattas were officially canceled by the US Sailing Olympic Sailing Committee, it was announced on July 9. The committee officially took the 2020 Finn and 470 World Championships off calendar for 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Members of the US Sailing Olympic Sailing Committee stated the next qualification opportunity will be held March 5-13, 2021, when the 2021 World Championship is scheduled to take place ion Vilamoura, Portugal.

Selection for the Finn class will be based upon the results of the first two selection events – 2019 World Championship and 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami.

“Upon review of current State Department and Travel Advisories and at the recommendation of US Sailing’s Selection Committee, the OSC determined that these regattas will not be used as the third 2020 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team selection event for the Women’s 470 or Finn classes,” a statement from the US Sailing Olympic Sailing Committee said.

International travel restrictions were indeed the main reason for the cancelations, according to committee member and Athlete Advisory Council representative Joe Morris (Annapolis, Maryland).

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created a great deal of uncertainty and risk associated with international travel. Beyond the obvious health and safety hazards, this lack of certainty also inhibits the sailors’ preparations for the Championships. Therefore, we feel it is not in their best interest to compete at these events,” Morris said.

US Sailing Team Head Coach Luther Carpenter said sailors will continue to train and prepare for qualifier events in 2021.

“As a team, we are confident with our process in place to continue training and preparations, while looking ahead to important events in 2021 with Olympic Qualification implications for the Women’s 470,” Carpenter said. “Our athletes are focused on their specific goals and are making progress towards those on a daily basis. We are optimistic about our opportunities to train and compete with the best sailors in the world and we will be prepared to adapt to the changes in the 2020-2021 schedule and in our sailing environment.”

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