Pan Pacific Swimming Championships moved from 2022 to 2026 to avoid overcrowded calendar.
Swimming Canada announced Thursday that the 2022 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships will be deferred to 2026 out of respect for the recent changes to the international sporting calendar due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The four Pan Pacific Charter Nations (Australia, Canada, Japan, United States) have agreed to move the Pan Pacs to 2026 with Canada remaining the host.
With the Olympic Games being pushed back to 2021, that made FINA reschedule the 2021 World Championships to May 13 – 29, 2022.
Canada’s Yuri Kisil & USA’s Zach Apple check the scoreboard at the 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Canada/Irwin Wong
2022 was already becoming a crowded international swimming calendar with the Commonwealth Games set for July 27 – August 7 of that year in Birmingham, England, which Australia and Canada participate in. A third major championship for those nations would prevent several challenges, not to mention fatigue for the swimmers involved. Additionally, Japan would participate in the Asian Games in 2022 in Hangzhou, China, causing that nation’s swimmers to have three major world events on the calendar in one summer.
Australia’s Cate Campbell at the 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships; Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr/Swimming Australia
“We are looking forward to hosting this event, but in the bigger picture, everyone can benefit from the decision to defer the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships by four years,” said Swimming Canada President Cheryl Gibson. “The Pan Pacific Championships will remain a benchmark event in the future. We now look forward to hosting a great event in 2026, welcoming our fellow Charter Nations Australia, Japan and Team USA, as well as other guests from around the world for a celebration of our sport at its best.”
Team Japan at the 2014 Pan Pacs. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr
The Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, which were supposed to be held this year after the Olympics, will now be held August 24 – 27, 2022 in Hawaii.
FINA has also deferred this year’s world short course championships to December 2021, so Swimming Canada will look to determine an alternate national team activity for the December 2020 time period, in accordance with health and safety guidelines.
Rod Barratt