Santa Clara Junior Olympic Meet Cancelled In Response To Coronavirus Containment Mandate

In a statement, Southern California Swimming (SCS) said that it had “received notice from the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center (RBAC), Executive Director and the Rose Bowl JO’s Organizing Committee that this week’s JOs will be postponed indefinitely/cancelled for this weekend, March 12-15, 2020.”

SCS pointed to the full letter from Kurt Knop, President & Executive Director Rose Bowl Aquatics Center.

The SCS statement added:

Rescheduling of the SCS JO Championship Swim Meet will be determined by the SCS Board of Directors.

The Junior Olympics meet scheduled for this weekend at the Santa Clara Club in California, has been cancelled following a City authority mandate that all gatherings of more than 1,000 people must be called off as part of containment measures in the developing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak).

The cancellation was made on the same day that FINA, the international swimming federation, announced the establishment of a Task Force to consider the possible impact and consequences of the spread of the virus and make recommendations on cancelling several weeks of scheduled competitions in all aquatic disciplines.

Pacific Swimming issued a notice to its members announcing the cancellation of the Junior Olympics meet after City authority health department let it be known that it would pursue legal action against those who did not respect the mandate arrived at in the interests of public safety.

The organisers also heard representations from Monterey coach Dia C. Rianda and others concerned that organisers had issued a note just a few days ago saying that they would press ahead with the event, while leaving it up to parents to decide whether to bring their kids or not.

All who entered the Santa Clara meet have now been invited to contact the club to ask for refunds.

No new date has been set for the junior competition, the City of Santa Clara authorities having announced that decisions on whether events can go ahead will be taken on a weekly basis while the health emergency lasts.