All Canadian Athletes Going To The 2022 Olympics Must Be Fully Vaccinated To Compete

Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes hoping to compete in the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing must be vaccinated in order to represent our country.

On Wednesday, October 20, both the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Canadian Olympic Committee issued statements saying that all team members must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to be part of Team Canada.

"Our efforts to keep the team safe were successful at the Tokyo Games, and building on that success our aim is to take the next step for Beijing with a vaccine mandate for the entire team – athletes, coaches, support staff, and contractors," said Karen O'Neill, CEO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee. "Full vaccination is the most effective tool at our disposal as we continue our preparations for the Paralympic Winter Games."

According to David Shoemaker, CEO and Secretary General of the Canadian Olympic Committee, the decision was made in order to keep everyone safe as well as to fall in line with the recent federal order that people who travel by air must be fully vaccinated by the end of October.

"We brought 840 people to and from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games without a single positive case, and 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."

The 2022 Winter Olympics will officially begin on February 4 and end on February 20. The Paralympic Games will run from March 4 to 13.