U.S. Masters Swimming Cancels Spring Nationals and Strongly Recommends LMSCs and Clubs to Suspend Their Sanctioned Competitions Through April 30

SARASOTA, Fla. — U.S. Masters Swimming has cancelled the 2020 USMS Spring National Championship and suspended all education courses through at least April 30 and strongly recommends all Local Masters Swimming Committees (LMSCs) suspend all of their sanctioned competitions until at least April 30 because of COVID-19 concerns, the organization announced Friday.

The decision to cancel Spring Nationals, which was scheduled for April 23–26 in San Antonio, was made jointly by USMS and the hosts of the meet, Northside ISD Aquatics and San Antonio Sports. All registrants will receive a refund.

“The safety of our athletes, coaches, volunteers, fans, and staff is our utmost concern,” USMS CEO Dawson Hughes says. “In an abundance of caution and in the best interests of our membership, we have decided that this was the best course of action.”

USMS’s suspended education courses include coach certification, Adult Learn-to-Swim instructor certification, and clinics.

In addition, the organization’s Adult Learn-to-Swim Month campaign will not be promoted in April this year.

USMS will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments and will make an announcement regarding whether future competitions and courses will be impacted.

Spring Nationals was a major part of USMS’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2020.

“We are disappointed that we have had to cancel Spring Nationals,” says Jenny Carnes, senior vice president/chief operating officer of San Antonio Sports. “However, it’s the right decision for the safety of everyone who was planning to attend the meet. We look forward to working with U.S. Masters Swimming to have a future national championship in San Antonio.”

USMS encourages all of its members to adhere to prevention best practices and follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and their local health officials for updates regarding COVID-19, and strongly discourages swimmers who are sick from attending workouts.

“We will continue to follow updates regarding COVID-19 and will provide updates and information to our members as they become available,” Hughes says. “We thank everyone in advance for taking every precaution to protect themselves and others.”