US Masters Swimming has cancelled the 2020 USMS Spring National Championship and suspended all education courses through at least April 30.
US Masters Swimming also strongly recommended all Local Masters Swimming Committees (LMSCs) suspend all of their sanctioned competitions until at least April 30 because of COVID-19 concerns, the organization announced Friday.
US Masters Swimming stated:
The decision to cancel Spring Nationals, which was scheduled for April 23–26 in San Antonio, was made jointly by USMS and the hosts of the meet, Northside ISD Aquatics and San Antonio Sports. All registrants will receive a refund.
“The safety of our athletes, coaches, volunteers, fans, and staff is our utmost concern,” USMS CEO Dawson Hughes said. “In an abundance of caution and in the best interests of our membership, we have decided that this was the best course of action.”
USMS’s suspended education courses include coach certification, Adult Learn-to-Swim instructor certification, and clinics.
In addition, the organization’s Adult Learn-to-Swim Month campaign will not be promoted in April this year.
USMS will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments and will make an announcement regarding whether future competitions and courses will be impacted.
Spring Nationals was a major part of USMS’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2020.
“We are disappointed that we have had to cancel Spring Nationals,” says Jenny Carnes, senior vice president/chief operating officer of San Antonio Sports. “However, it’s the right decision for the safety of everyone who was planning to attend the meet. We look forward to working with U.S. Masters Swimming to have a future national championship in San Antonio.”
US Masters Swimming encourages all of its members to adhere to prevention best practices and follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and their local health officials for updates regarding COVID-19, and strongly discourages swimmers who are sick from attending workouts.
“We will continue to follow updates regarding COVID-19 and will provide updates and information to our members as they become available,” Hughes says. “We thank everyone in advance for taking every precaution to protect themselves and others.”
Extraordinary Events In Swimming History:
Australia, China, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Italy, France, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil and Japan have all had major meets affected by the coronavirus pandemic, while in the United States, the NCAA Championships have been cancelled and USA Swimming has imposed a 30-day suspension on all events, while Canada is considering what to do about its Olympic trials early next month. In Italy, where swimmers are struggling to maintain normal routines, can’t get to practice and in some cases find pool time, a #stopolympics campaign was launched by the Nuoto website calling on solidarity among swimming nations to recognise that Olympic preparations have been blown off course and that it would be in the interests of fairness to postpone the Games for a time of calm beyond the coronavirus crisis.
Our coverage:
- Dutch Olympic-Qualifier Swim Cups Cancelled In Coronavirus Lockdown
- The Soak – Swim Ireland Announces Postponement Of Olympic Trials Until End Of June
- Swimming Australia Cancels Australian Championships And Age Nationals to Combat Coronaavirus
- Swimming Canada Evaluating Possible Contingency Plans for Olympic Trials
- Spanish Swimming Nationals And Olympic Trials Latest In Wave Of Coronavirus Cancellations
- NCAA Cancels Winter Championships, Including Swimming And Diving
- USA Swimming to Cancel All Events For 30 Days Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic
- France Cancels Junior Nationals On Extraordinary Day In Swim History Ahead of Crunch Decision On Olympic Trials
- Scandinavian Swimming Shutdown: Danish Open, Olympic Trials, Swim Open Stockholm Off; Pools Shut & Norway Bans All Sport Events In Coronavirus Lockdown
- FINA Confirms Postponement of the Men’s Olympic Water Polo Qualifier in Rotterdam
- FINA Cancels/ Postpones Swathe Of Aquatic Events Due To Coronavirus Pandemic, Some Decisions Pending
- Peaty, Anderson & Co Set For Edinburgh Against The Backdrop Of Coronavirus
- Italian Struggle To Find Swimming Pools To Train In Sparks #stopolympics Coronavirus Lockdown Campaign
- The Soak – WADA Warns Of Unintended Consequences As Rodchenkov Act On Whistleblowing Takes Step Closer To Becoming U.S. Law
- British Olympic Association & Athletes Reach Agreement Over IOC Rule
- WHO Set To Give ‘Basic Thoughts’ On Olympics & Coronavirus As Unrepentant Tokyo 2020 Board Member Sounds “Warning Bell”
- NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships Now Closed to Spectators
- COVID-19 Leads Argentina to Cancel South American Championships
- Ivy League To Cancel All Athletic Events Through Remainder Of Spring
- Coronavirus Causes China Olympic Swimming Trials Postponement
- Italy Cancels Olympic Swim Trials & Wave Of Other Aquatic Championships In Coronavirus Lockdown
Guidance on Water and Coronavirus
- Coronavirus And Swimmers: CDC Issues Guidance On Water Transmission & COVID-19
- 2008 Uni of Arizona Research Called For More Study Into Survival Of Coronavirus in Water [UPDATED March 11 – Link To CDC Guide]