World Cup cross-country event in Canmore cancelled

CANMORE, Alta. — A World Cup cross-country ski event scheduled for next week in Canmore, Alta., has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The FIS, the world governing body for skiing, announced the cancellation for the March 20-22 event on Thursday.

Earlier, a March 17 World Cup cross-country event in Minneapolis was cancelled.

A World Cup cross-country event scheduled for Quebec City on Saturday and Sunday remains on the schedule for now, but organizers remain in discussions about the races.

Norway did not send athletes to Quebec, and Sweden, Russia, Czech Republic, Great Britain and Germany have packed up and are heading home.

Because Minneapolis and Canmore were the final two races of the season, the FIS says the Quebec City event now will serve as the World Cup Finals if the event is held.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2020.

The Canadian Press