CLIMBING ESCALADE CANADA ANNOUNCES CANCELLATION OF THE 2020 LEAD SPEED SEASON
APRIL 3, 2020: Along with the rest of the sporting world, Climbing Escalade Canada (CEC) has been following the COVID-19 outbreak closely and would like to take this opportunity to provide some clarity regarding the 2020 CEC National Series to athletes, coaches, volunteers and staff. Given the development of the outbreak, and with a view to protecting the health and welfare of the climbing community, the CEC has decided to cancel the remainder of the 2020 CEC National Series.
The CEC Executives and Board of Directors have been holding special meetings regarding COVID-19 and the 2020 CEC National Series. The CEC has also been conducting regular meetings with its Provincial members and key stakeholders and has explored several different Return to Competition scenarios. As the situation has evolved, it has become apparent that social and physical distancing and other measures to flatten the curve are only starting, and will likely continue far into the spring.
The health and welfare of athletes and the climbing community was at the forefront of many discussions regarding the remainder of the 2020 CEC National Series. It is contrary to CEC core values to ask athletes to continue training for competitions during this time when public health and social distancing should be the priority. Canceling the season at this point will take the pressure off our athletes, facilities and others and allow everyone to focus on health, family and community.
The CEC is continuing to operate remotely and is working on developing a number of resources and initiatives that it hopes to share with athletes and the broader community in the upcoming weeks. National Head Coach Andrew Wilson will be posting a weekly update to help support athletes with managing through this challenging time: https://climbingcanada.ca/en/national-coach-blog/. We encourage all members of the community to follow CEC’s social media and website for up to date information and resources.
The CEC is creating contingency plans in the event IFSC competitions are held in 2020 however athlete wellness and development remain priorities. Accordingly, any decisions to select and send athletes to 2020 IFSC competitions will only be made after a thorough assessments of the safety, timing, developmental value and logistics of each IFSC event if and when announced.
CEC understands that these times are stressful for everyone and that the level of uncertainty keeps rising. The COVID-19 crisis is bigger than sport, and CEC hopes everyone is safe and following Public Health guidelines. Athletes who purchased a 2019-2020 CEC license but did not attend a CEC event will be offered a full refund.
CEC is looking forward to seeing everyone back for the 2020-2021 Season! Stay home and stay safe everyone.
For any questions or concerns regarding this release, please contact CEC Executive Director, Christiane Marceau, at [email protected]
RESOURCES
Sport Medicine Advisory Committee update, April 1st, 2020: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Update–10–Advisory-on-COVID-19.html?soid=1108867463200&aid=uJ97lrgt52s
Public Health Agency of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
