The 2022 Chinese Nationals have once again been postponed, with the Chinese Swimming Federation citing COVID-related policies as the reason.
Chinese Swimming Federation announced that the Chinese Nationals is once again postponed, citing the covid policies. pic.twitter.com/MP2juMI9I2
— Chinese Swimming News and Results (@CHNswim_fan) November 30, 2022
The elite domestic Nationals were initially scheduled for April, then rescheduled for December 6th – 9th. The latest delay does not reveal the potential new dates for the competition.
Whereas the original April dates rendered the meet as a selection competition for the 2022 FINA Short Course World Championships, the December affair was deemed a non-qualification national meet.
Since mid-November, there have been protests taking place throughout China, including Beijing and numerous university campuses, with citizens ‘angered by strict anti-virus measures’. (AP)
Such measures instilled by Chinese President Xi Jinping include lockdowns, repeated daily testing of millions of people and lengthy quarantines for overseas arrivals. Access to neighborhoods has been reportedly suspended for weeks at a time.
According to Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian, the government is trying to “provide maximum protection to people’s lives and health while minimizing the COVID impact on social and economic development. “(AP)
Per the Associated Press, ‘China has had far fewer deaths compared to other large nations and one of the lowest deaths per capita in the world. The official death toll stands at 5,233, the majority during the initial outbreak in early 2020.’