Canada鈥檚 Olympic mixed doubles curling trials have been cancelled because of a rise in athletes testing positive for the COVID-19 virus.
The rate of positive tests along with the 鈥渞isks associated with travelling鈥� caused the cancellation, Curling Canada said in a statement on Sunday.
The 16-rink trials to determine Canada鈥檚 mixed doubles team for February鈥檚 Winter Olympics in Beijing were scheduled to begin Tuesday.
鈥淭he increasing numbers of trials-bound athletes testing positive for COVID-19, along with the rise in cases across Canada, made it impossible to stage the event in a safe, responsible manner for athletes, staff and volunteers,鈥� Curling Canada said in a statement.
鈥淯nlike the Calgary bubble, which had months of preparation time and allowed athletes to self-isolate at home, and get tests done prior to their departure for the events, the dramatic rise in positive cases related to the sudden emergence of the Omicron variant across Canada in the past week made those safety precautions impossible to carry out.鈥�
The organization鈥檚 high-performance staff will consult with the Canadian Olympic Committee and Own The Podium on how to nominate a mixed doubles team for China. Arrangements are underway for the refunding of tickets.
Curling Canada said last week the trials would go ahead with spectators capped at 50 per cent of capacity in Stride Place and with athletes鈥� movements limited to their hotel room, the arena and transportation to the venue.
Canada is the defending Olympic champion in mixed doubles, which made its debut in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes captured for the first gold medal awarded in the discipline.
The Canadian Press
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