U SPORTS has announced a virtual University Swimming challenge taking place this year between February 27 and April 4th. The new challenge was created in partnership with Swimming Canada, and was organized by member programs
Over the course of the five week challenge, swimmers eligible under U SPORTS will have the chance to post their times in any of the 41 swimming events. These events include the 38 events in the U Sports Championship program. While the other races include the 100m individual medley, 200m freestyle, and the 4x50m individual medley relay.
As this is a virtual competition, participating U SPORTS swimmers are responsible for organizing their races safely, and within the 5 week window of the challenge. Swimmers also are required to set up their events in a format fitting to each team’s circumstances, such as location, time zone, and resources. Depending on the province the swimmers are located in, swimmers must adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines determined by their facility and location.
All are welcome in this U SPORTS event. As it is not considered an official national championship, swimmers aren’t limited to a qualifying time in order to compete. There are also no limits to the number of aprtiicaptants per school. All swim races will be run in a short course, 25 metre, format. The swimmer with the best time for each race will be counted in the final rankings.
Although there will not be any major awards offered, to recognize swimmers and their accomplishments, Swimming Canada, one of the founding partners, will be posting weekly updates online. These posts will cover team standings, most successful swimmers in each race, and will put a spotlight on the individual top-performing swimmers as a way to showcase the efforts of the athletes.
Full updates and results of the competition can be found at swimming.ca.
