Shortly after FISA's official announcement of the cancellation of World Cup and selection events in Italy this morning, USRowing put out the following release; in a parallel conversation with row2k, USRowing High Performance Director Matt Imes also offered additional information and context below.
USRowing COVID-19 statement regarding World Cups
"Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe, FISA has announced the cancellation of the upcoming World Rowing Cup I and II, as well as the Final Paralympic Qualification Regatta and Gavirate International Para Regatta.
These cancellations affect USRowing selection processes in a couple of ways. On the Paralympic side, the Gavirate Regatta was to serve as an opportunity for athletes to classify and compete in an international event. FISA is currently looking at options and will update the status of these processes on March 17. On the Olympic side, USRowing Selection Procedures allowed for the winning W2- from the NSR to compete at World Rowing Cup II and III, with an opportunity to earn nomination to the Olympic team through placement at either world cup. With the cancellation of World Rowing Cup II, USRowing will look at the current procedure and determine what adjustments need to be made for the selection process. An update on this should be made by March 13.
As the outbreak continues to spread through Europe, USRowing will continue to monitor the situation with the health and well-being of our athletes being the primary concern as they prepare for the Olympic Games."
Imes outlined what he described as a two-tiered prioritization process that considered all possible outcomes of sending - or not sending - athletes to events abroad, as well as with respect to selection. Elements under consideration were the obvious efforts to remain healthy, but also potential quarantines either at home or abroad that could disrupt training, travel, and attendance at critical selection camps and events.
"First, the most important consideration is Tokyo 2020 and that our athletes are healthy and able to train and prepare uninterrupted," Imes said. "Second is qualification. For the Para qualification regatta, we had qualified all four Para boats. But from a classification standpoint, we have some athletes that are under consideration that need to be classified. FISA addressed that, saying that they understand that the cancellation is an issue, and they are working on a solution.
"We are in regular contact with FISA and they clearly have a grasp on the issues, and we imagine we will know something fairly soon that will be workable," he said.
"The biggest question that remains is the final Olympic qualification regatta," Imes continued. "It's too early to know how this might be affected just yet, but if FISA is running the final qualification regatta, we will offer the opportunity for those boats that have not qualified."
Imes said he understood that qualified crews may still want to race in Europe.
"There are going to be some people who want to get a race and get that experience in, for sure," he said. "When we get closer, if it looks marginal, that will affect the decision of course."
The women's pair is the only qualified crew for which attendance at a World Cup directly affects selection, but the winning crew (Tracy Eisser and Kristine O'Brien in this case) are not mandated to row at the World Cup and stay in the pair; both could either opt to vie for a camp boat, or if they chose that option and did not make it, could contest the event at trials at Olympic Trials III on June 5-7. The camp boat naming date is June 3.
As noted in the release, USRowing hopes to have more information later this week. "For the women's pair, as time goes on the main consideration will be that we want the athletes to feel like they have a fair opportunity to qualify while taking into considerations their health and well-being," Imes said.
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