Dear Member Federations, Delegates, and friends of the Coupe,
With much sadness and regret, the Executive Committee and the Organising Committee Linz 2020 have jointly decided to cancel the Coupe de la Jeunesse 2020 which was to be held in Linz, Austria in August.
The impact of the Covid-19 is very large and is affecting all of Europe. We did not think it was justified to wait any longer before making a decision whether or not to cancel the Coupe this year, especially given the uncertainties about what lies ahead in the coming months.
You will undoubtedly be of the same opinion that this is a very exceptional situation and we have carefully considered the various factors affecting the ability of the OC to run the regatta and the national teams’ ability to enter competitive teams. In reaching this decision we have considered the following factors:
- the health of the youth rowers,
- the possibility of travel restriction on the teams,
- the impact of restricted or closed national training programmes on crew selection,
- the impact of uncertainty on national federations’ planning and budgeting,
- the possibility that the Austrian authorities would not allow the regatta to take place.
This showed us that everything was unclear and therefore we have chosen the safest solution for our rowers and teams.
We are now consulting with the organizing committees of Linz 2020, Castrello e Minho 2021 and Amsterdam 2022 on the best solution for the Coupe following this cancellation. One option is to simply move forward one year for each venue and in the same order. In a few weeks we will be able to give you an update on the venues and dates for the Coupe in the next three years.
In the mean time, we wish you a lot of strength in this difficult and especially bizarre time and that you take good care of yourself and your loved ones.
Best regards,
Gary Harris
President of the Coupe de Jeunesse
Gwenda Stevens
Secretary-General of the Coupe de la Jeunesse