CEC announces assessment process for Team Canada attendance at 2021 International Competitions

Given the ever changing dynamics of the coronavirus pandemic, and considering that every country has a different response to this worldwide challenge, CEC will be implementing an International Competition Assessment Process to determine if CEC can safely send a team of athletes, or endorse individual athletes, to attend international competitions.

The CEC’s International Competition Assessment Process includes the following steps, which will be applied in evaluating Canadian’s participation at each international competition:

1. At the time that the IFSC confirms the event (60 days prior to the start of the event), CEC will conduct a risk assessment of each individual event using the “Event Return to Competition Risk Assessment and Mitigation Checklist Tool” created by Own The Podium’s Sport Medical Advisory Council (SMAC). This tool evaluates the level of risk involved with attending an international competition in three categories:
   1. Event Risk Factors
   2. Public Health Preparedness and Mitigation
   3. Sport-Specific (Climbing) Preparedness and Mitigation
2. With the results obtained by the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Tool, and considering other factors such as the Government of Canada travel restrictions and vaccine rollout, CEC will determine whether or not it is safe and meaningful to send a Team to the event.
3. In the event that the decision NOT to send a team is made, CEC High Performance Staff MAY identify individual athletes whose personal situation may have a significantly different risk assessment than that of the “team”. These individual athletes MAY be selected to attend unsupported and at their own expense and if they choose to do so. In this case, NO CNR POINTS will be available to the athlete.

The details of the CEC’s International Competition Assessment Process will be clearly communicated with athletes who are eligible to be selected for international events as part of CEC’s High Performance Program. CEC will communicate publicly its decision for each individual event as quickly as possible after the decision is made.

It is our hope that Canadian athletes will have the opportunity to compete at the highest levels in 2021, while following the Government of Canada safety measures in place.

Should you have any questions regarding CEC’s International Competition Assessment Process, please contact Andrew Wilson, CEC High Performance Director, at hpd@climbingcanada.ca