Canadian athletes looking to compete for Team Canada at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics this February will need to be fully vaccinated in order to make the team and participate in the Games.
The Canadian Olympic Committee announced the mandate on Wednesday citing that the best way to keep their athletes, staff and communities safe is to ensure all potential members of the team be fully vaccinated by October 30.
Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive David Shoemaker said in a statement that the team wanted to replicate their successful Tokyo Summer Olympics campaign, where no positive Covid-19 cases occurred within the traveling group.
“We want to do the same for Beijing,” said Shoemaker. “A fully vaccinated team following robust hygiene and physical distancing protocols is the best way to do that.”
In September, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee said all US athletes hoping to compete at the upcoming Winter Games will need to be fully vaccinated.
The International Olympic Committee has not required athletes to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
The Beijing Winter Olympics are set to take place from February 4-20, 2022.