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Brisbane, Australia (AP) —Swimming Australia will abolish short-term course titles in the country and will not send the entire team to the FINA World Swimming Championships in December due to travel issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. ..
Australian elite swimmers have recently returned from the Tokyo Olympics and are subject to compulsory 14-day hotel quarantine as part of Australia’s strict border security regulations.
Australian swimmers won nine Olympic gold medals at the late Tokyo Olympics.
Alex Baumann, CEO of FINA World Swimming Championships, issued a statement on Monday confirming that the national title was canceled next month, but will be held in Abu Dhabi on December 16-21. He said individual swimmers who are eligible to compete in the FINA World Swimming Championships and want to compete will be supported.
“The limited options for returning to Australia, the quarantine requirements after the competition during the Christmas and New Year periods, and the fact that many athletes have just started more than 10 weeks away from home, will bring the team to the event. I felt it was unrealistic to send, “Baumann said.
There is a strict limit on the number of people entering Australia during a pandemic, and anyone wishing to travel abroad must apply for a government exemption to leave the country.
According to Baumann, the title of the national short-term course in Melbourne from September 23 to 26 needs to be abolished due to the closure of the domestic border due to a new wave of coronavirus cases in eastern Australia. rice field.
“This is an unfortunate situation, and a decision we didn’t downplay,” he said. “I feel this is the right decision because the borders are very volatile and there are still regular blockages.”
Australia topped five of the first eight editions of the FINA World Swimming Championships, but hasn’t finished in the top two since 2008.
The short course championship will be held in a 25 meter pool, which is half the length of the Olympic pool.
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