Scott Bliss, the Executive Director of the Missouri Valley Swimming LSC, informed SwimSwam this evening that this weekend’s Columbia Sectional Swimming Championships have been cancelled. The decision was made after the University of Missouri closed campus and cancelled all non-essential activities.
“We are quickly trying to assess the situation and will provide more updates as they become available,” Bliss said via email. He also said that they are looking for opportunities to give swimmers a long course competition in the very near future, though they’re still in the very early stages of seeing what is feasible and not.
The meet joins a growing list of local, regional, state, national, and international championship swimming events that have been cancelled as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Columbia was one of 3 Sectional meets scheduled for this weekend. No announcement of a cancellation at the meet in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin has been made yet, though the 3rd meet in Federal Way, Washington has been cancelled. Federal Way is in King County, which has the highest national concentration of both coronavirus cases and COVID-19 deaths so far.
The state of Missouri has only 1 confirmed coronavirus case so far, in St. Louis County, which is about 120 miles from Columbia.
Sad for these athletes. Not just the issue of refunds but these athletes are prepared now, not for a meet to be held in the future.
exactly!!
Yep, I agree Swammer..hard for parents as seeing their kids work so hard last few weeks..tough one..it will make them stronger.