There are safety concerns with the location of Villavicencio, Colombia, which is the location for the U20 Pan American Athletics Championships. So, Athletics Canada (AC) pulled the national junior team out of the meet. It is scheduled to go from July 11-13.
On June 4, AC sent an email message to coaches and athletes to inform them of the cancellation.
Racewalker Evan Dunfee was less than thrilled about the announcement, using social media to write, “I’ll get in trouble if I say what I truly think, but losing another national team opportunity for young athletes is so deeply disappointing.”
This year, Athletics Canada’s two primary national team focuses will be the Junior (U23) Pan American Games, taking place Aug. 9–23 in Asunción, Paraguay, and the 2025 World Athletics Championships, scheduled for Sept. 13–21 in Tokyo.
International junior meets are considered important steps in the progression for young athletes looking to make global championships such as the World Championships and the Olympic Games.
Canada’s travel advisory for Colombia recommends exercising a high degree of caution. This is due to widespread crime and the potential for civil unrest and terrorism in some areas.
Specific regional advisories include avoiding all travel to the Colombia-Venezuela border area and avoiding non-essential travel to multiple regions due to drug-related criminal activity.
The U.S. State Department also advises Americans to “reconsider” travel to Colombia due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping. Ironically, the department does not mention the same advisory for the City of Los Angeles, California.
