FINA has decided to postpone the 2021 World Junior Swimming Championships until August 2022. The event was originally scheduled for August 24-29, 2021 in Kazan, Russia, but will instead be held during yet-announced dates in August of 2022.
The decision to pull out of the event amid the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic comes after some nations, including notably Australia, announced that they would not send a team to the 2021 meet because of coronavirus concerns. While Australia has escaped the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic, that means that the country has very limited natural immunity to the virus.
While a late start to the vaccine program has begun to gain steam (as of publishing, Bloomberg reports that 4.5 million vaccine doses have been given in Australia – enough to vaccinate about 8.8% of the population), they still lag behind much of the developed world. Olympic athletes and coaches were jumped to the front of the vaccine line, but the country decided to bypass the World Junior Championships, along with the World University Games, rather than continue to press athletes to the forefront.
While FINA has not released the news to media yet, the host All-Russia Swimming Federation announced the postponement this week.
A translation of the letter, posted in Russian:
The health and safety of our athletes and all those participating in FINA events is our top priority. There is no doubt that Kazan is more than ready to host athletes in the safest possible conditions this summer. However, in fulfilling our duty and mission to hold competitions at the highest level, we must also ensure that athletes from different countries have equal opportunities to participate in such prestigious competitions.
We understand that, despite all the measures taken, the risks and consequences cannot be completely eliminated. In addition, international travel in the current situation remains one of the biggest problems for parents of underage athletes and is a major risk factor that is very difficult to control. In addition, travel restrictions imposed by various countries can be tightened again at short notice, depending on the epidemiological situation.>It is anticipated that the aforementioned factors could lead to difficulties that will affect the potential number of young talented competitors in the highly anticipated World Junior Swimming Championships in Russia.
After a thorough discussion of this issue, the FINA management came to the decision to consider the possibility of postponing the planned championship until the end of August 2022.
The 2021 World Aquatics Championships were postponed last year, early in the pandemic, to May 2022 in Fukuoka, Japan.
The World Junior Championships are held every 2 years and play host to the top junior-aged swimmers in the world. Female swimmers aged 14-17 and male swimmers aged 15-18, based on their age at the end of the year of competition, are eligible for the event.
While individuals in this age range are not exempt from the serious complications of COVID-19, including death, they are far less likely to show severe symptoms or any symptoms at all. Many vaccines are also now approved for individuals in these younger age ranges.
FINA has not responded to a question about whether they would extend age eligibility by one year to capture those athletes who would have been in their final year of age eligibility in 2021. Other postponed events, including the World University Games, have extended age eligibility.
At the most recent World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest in 2019, the United States led all nations with 37 total medals, including 18 gold. Russia was 2nd with 7 gold in 22 total medals, followed by Australia (4 gold, 13 total), Italy (3 gold, 12 total), and Canada (2 gold, 12 total).
ISL did not wait for vaccination process to be finished in each separate country, simply the rules of entry were strict, which means PCR testing for every participant, no crown in Hall, and that should be done same for WJP, completely non logical decision by FINA, lower vaccination % in Australia, let us postpone the event. Who knows, maybe next year there will be lower vaccination % in eg Sweden , so let us postpone it for year after next year, and so on…..
PCR on entry negative, and than full quarantine and that is it.
rgds
Marko
So much for the vaccine solving the worlds problems…let’s just keep robbing these kids of their possible once in a lifetime opportunity for an age group that is least affected by this virus. So disappointing.
The vast majority of the world does not have access to vaccines yet. It can be challenging for Americans, where things are mostly getting back to normal, to understand what the rest of the world is facing, but there were still at least 72,000 deaths recorded from COVID-19 in the last week globally. That’s a huge number.
Is it a done deal?? It says “considering” and not “canceling”
That’s some version of bureaucrat speak combined with translation errors.
Russia made it clear in their release that it was being postponed until 2022.
What this will mean at Trials as I believe this was the selection meet for the team.
Any updates on Open Water Juniors? It was removed from the FINA website last year and no sign of it’s return
C’mon man…just let us swim.
FINA seems to be the only big organization not willing to take risks or even do the bare minimum to keep the sport rolling.
It looks like to me that having the IOC working on the Olympics and even the ISL happening gave them a little vacation from running the sport.
We’re still gonna be for a long time just an amateur summer sport for children while we still have a bunch of white old men in charge.
Ur racism and sexism are showing
Look at Fina board
Mostly women and people of color
Is vlad salnikov an old white man?
Well, it feels like some of the federations were forcing FINA’s hand. Australia, for example. Is it worth hosting a championship this summer with a neutered field? Or waiting until next summer?
Any word on OW Junior Worlds?
Aussie selected swimmers have been given a letter stating Fina unable to provide a where and how they intend to conduct a covid safe event so Swimming Australia have cancelled their participation even if Fina go ahead with the event at some point. I can’t find anything on Fina site with any more information either.
Although I think they could have hosted in a safe manner, I get the decision.
FINA now better find a solution for those swimmers who missed their opportunity for two straight years!
This was never a 2020 meet. It was always a 2021 meet, so swimmers have only missed their opportunity for one straight year.
And Jr Pan Pacs in 2020 for the same junior cohort. So likely an entire class of top juniors with no travel opportunity to represent the US since no chance to attend Mel Zajak or Mare Nostrum as a team either.
COVID bummer continues
That sounds like a threat .
what pandemic?