OTTAWA – Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Junior World Championships.

The decision was made with the safety of athletes, coaches, and team staff as the top priority. Given the uncertainty of the Canadian travel advisories, the ability for athletes to adequately train in preparation for the event, and the risk of furthering the spread of COVID-19, Canada will not send a team to the event.

The Junior World Championships are scheduled for December 4 to 10 in Belgrade, Serbia.

WCL will be making a decision regarding its attendance at the Senior World Championships, also taking place in Belgrade from December 12 to 20, in the coming weeks. WCL has communicated our questions and concerns to United World Wrestling in relation to the Senior World Championships and is awaiting further information.

Last week, WCL postponed all sanctioned events until 2021.

WCL wishes to support the return of wrestling as much as possible, but must remain mindful of our responsibilities to the athletes and above all to global health.