Olympic-Qualifiers Danish Open & Stockholm Open Both Cancelled

The list of meets and events being cancelled or postponed due to the worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is growing, as today both the Danish Open and Stockholm Open have both been eliminated.

Both were set as Olympic-qualifying meets, with the Danish Open slated for March 28th through April 1st and the Swim Open Stockholm scheduled for April 3rd – April 6th.

Denmark:

Morten Hinnerup, acting director of the Danish Swimming Union says, “This is a new and difficult situation for all of us in. However, it is important to remember that this is basically about saving human lives by taking care of ourselves and each other. Seen with those glasses, there is no shaking in the Danish Swimming Union. We are listening to the authorities and we will close down planned activities in the next two weeks”

Hinnerup says that he understands the cancellation of the Danish Open ‘raises many thoughts and concerns’, but emphasizes that the organization is in close contact with FINA, the Danish Olympic Committee and Team Denmark to give Danish swimmers the opportunity to qualify for the season’s international championships, including the Olympics.

Per Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, there have been 617 COVID-19 cases (0 deaths) reported in Denmark at the time of publishing.

Sweden:

The Swedish Swimming Federation states, “Due to the new guidelines from the government to prevent the spread of the Corona virus (Covid 19) regarding public gatherings in the community with more than 500 people, the Swedish Swimming Association will not be able to implement the Masters-SM in Stenugnsund and Swim Open Stockholm.

“Swim Open Stockholm will be set up and implemented on April 8-11, 2021, while the Swedish Swimming Association together with the organizers club S77 in Stenungsund are looking at the possibility of postponing Masters-SM by autumn 2020.”

Per Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, there have been 500 COVID-19 cases (1 death, 1 recovered) reported in Sweden at the time of publishing.