There is no question that Athletics Canada is taking the Coronavirus seriously according to CBC Sports. The association which oversees Canada’s track and field team wants Canadians home and they want them home immediately.
According to CBC, “any athlete or coach who disregards the travel directive will lose staff and financial support…There is also a growing risk that insurance coverage will not be in force should the advisory be disregarded.” This past week, an incredible number of global sporting events were cancelled or postponed because of the Coronavirus, one of the most serious pandemics our world has seen in a very long time.
There is also no doubt that many Canadian athletes need to train with the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo scheduled to take place just over our months from now. Hopefully there will be adequate places within Canada for Canadians to immediately train at a high level while global health professionals and world leaders are able to help resolve issues pertaining to the pandemic.
At the 2019 International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Doha, Qatar, Canada came away with five medals. Andre De Grasse of Scarborough, Ontario won the silver medal in the men’s 200 metres and a bronze medal in the men’s 100 metres. Mohamed Ahmed of St. Catharines, Ontario won a bronze medal in the men’s 5000 metres, Evan Dunfee of Richmond, British Columbia won a bronze medal in the men’s 50 kilometre walk and Damian Warner of London, Ontario won a bronze medal in the men’s decathlon. Among the events Athletics Canada will not allow Canadian athletes to participate in include the Florida Relays from March 29 to April 5 in Gainesville, Florida, the Desert Challenge in Mesa, Arizona from March 31 to April 5 and the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Jesolo, Italy from May 22 to 24.
