The following was issued to all national federation contacts on the 30 January 2020. Read the official correspondence to national federations here.
The IRF has been working hard to prepare for our flagship competition, the 2020 R4 World Rafting Championship, scheduled to be held 22-30 August on the Wu Pai River in Ziyuan County, Guang Xi Province, China.
Like the rest of the world, we are closely watching the rapidly developing news about the Wuhan coronavirus that suddenly appeared in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December. Wuhan is geographically located approximately 850 km from the Wu Pai River competition area. For now, people located in the competition area have not shown any signs of infection. We are in regular contact with the Ziyuan organisers who will keep us informed if the situation changes.
Thousands of people in China and around the world are working to understand and contain the spread of the coronavirus. With nobody sure how long the outbreak will last, or when it will be most serious, sporting organisers are under increased pressure to make decisions about events scheduled in China.
With over seven months to go before the WRC, none of the conversations have been about changing the dates or venue. We fully expect to hold the WRC on the Wu Pai River as planned, however, the health and well-being of our athletes, officials and volunteers are our top priority. At no time will we make a decision that puts anyone at risk. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, we will begin to examine the possibility of relocating or postponing the WRC if it becomes necessary.
The IRF will continue to monitor the situation and follow the recommendations provided by the Chinese Authorities, the World Health Organisation, and other leading health authorities around the world. The IRF administration and WRC event personnel will keep National Federation (NF) leaders informed as this situation changes and develops. We ask that NF’s pass these updates onward to their teams and athletes.
Coronavirus Update 4
Coronavirus Update 3
Coronavirus Update 2
Coronavirus Update 1
#AreYouReady #RaftersAreAwesome #Ziyuan #China #whitewater #rafting #whitewaterrafting #StrongerTogether #internationalrafting #RiverFamily #WeAreIRF
