The continued consequences of COVID-19 global pandemic on the 2020 World Rowing regatta season

Following the rapid expansion of the COVID-19 global pandemic during the past two weeks around the world and the recommendations of the World Health Organisation which led to the postponement of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the relevant World Rowing event organisers and FISA have been in constant communication. Based on these facts, the FISA Council and the organising committees recognise that the context has changed related to the spread of this global pandemic. Accordingly, the Council and the Organising Committees have decided that:

1. The 2020 World Rowing Senior, Under 23 and Junior Championships regatta in Bled, SLO, is cancelled and will not be re-scheduled. The OC will be in touch with teams directly which have booked accommodation in the coming days.

2. The 2020 World Rowing Masters Regatta in Linz-Ottensheim, AUT, is cancelled on the planned dates in September 2020, and will be staged as the 2021 World Rowing Masters Regatta from 1-5 September 2021 (WRMR Banyoles, ESP will move to 2025).

3. The 2020 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals and Coastal Championships regattas in Oeiras, POR, is cancelled on the planned dates in September/October 2020 and will be staged as the 2021 WRBSF and WRCC in October 2021 (exact dates to be confirmed).

4. The 2020 World Rowing Tour in American Samoa is cancelled on the planned dates in April. More information will follow if re-scheduling in 2021 will be possible.

These decisions have been reached after an assessment of all possible solutions based on the current advice from the World Health Organisation and taking into account the responsibility of our community on limiting the amount of inter-continental travel. FISA strongly supports the global efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed nearly 90’000 lives and infected over 1.5 million individuals at the time of writing. All members of the rowing community are strongly advised to behave responsibly at this time and follow their local and national regulations and measures to contain the outbreak, including, where required or advised by the authorities, not participating in training or activities that could put themselves and others around them at risk of infection.

These cancellations follow the previously announced cancellations of the three 2020 World Rowing Cup regattas and the Olympic and Paralympic qualification regattas that had been scheduled in 2020.

Now that the dates for the Tokyo2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been confirmed for 2021, the Council is working on proposals for the 2021 World Rowing event season and the re-scheduling of the remaining Olympic and Paralympic qualification regattas. Stakeholder consultations are taking place over the next ten days.