World Triathlon sprint and relay championships for the year 2021 has been called off due to an increase in cases of COVID-19, per the organisers of the tournament. The sporting event was scheduled to start on the 15th of October and end on the 17th.
The cases are now at their peak in the island nation, as they recorded a combined total of 4218 cases and 38 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a tally presented by Reuters. Governing body of the whole event, World Triathlon and the Bermuda Local Organising Committee brought out a joint statement they used a tool provided to them by the World Health Organization (WHO) to assess the risk of hosting the event in the middle of changing conditions due to the pandemic.
The statement brought out said that the analysis kept in mind the increasing COVID-19 cases on the island and also the increasing number of patients in the hospitals of Bermuda. Keeping those conditions in mind, the Organising Committee along with World Triathlon came to decision. They decided not to proceed with the event in October, because of the above-mentioned reasons. They also considered the health and safety of all athletes, coaches, staff, contractors, volunteers, and the people of the island as their primary consideration.
They also said that they hope to come back to Bermuda and there are conversations regarding future events on the island. The championships were supposed to feature super-sprint races for elite, junior and age-group runners as well as relays.
