TORONTO, ON – There will be no Canadian participation at the FISU World University Summer Games in June and July in Chengdu, China.

After COVID-19 forced Chengdu 2021 to be postponed to 2022, the U SPORTS has announced that no Canadian team members will go to the Chinese city to compete in the Games. U SPORTS intends on competing at the World University Winter Games in January 2023 in Lake Placid, New York.

The FISU Summer University Games are the world’s second-largest multi-sport event, behind only the Summer Olympics.

“Canada is a proud FISU Member, but U SPORTS is not prepared to send a delegation to this summer’s World University Games in Chengdu, China,” U SPORTS interim CEO Dick White said in a statement.

“We have consulted national sports organizations and universities to assess scheduling, financial and the health and safety implications of participation in the Games and determined that it was in Canada’s best interest to withdraw at this time.”

Team Canada won six medals, one gold, at the Naples 2019 World University Games.

The next FISU World University Summer Games are in 2023, scheduled to be hosted in Yekaterinburg, Russia. However, those Games could be pulled or relocated due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.