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US Speedskating Long Track Nationals postponed after COVID-19 outbreak

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brittany Bowe skates to a 1:13.55 time and 6th place in the ladies 1000 meter race at the long-track speedskating World Cup at the Kearns Olympic Oval in 2017. This weekend's U.S. long track championships, also scheduled at the Olympic Oval, were canceled Thursday because a COVID-19 outbreak.

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brittany Bowe skates to a 1:13.55 time and 6th place in the ladies 1000 meter race at the long-track speedskating World Cup at the Kearns Olympic Oval in 2017. This weekend's U.S. long track championships, also scheduled at the Olympic Oval, were canceled Thursday because a COVID-19 outbreak.

By https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/sltrib/bc674ce3-2d61-4899-8d38-81e1a1f71dc1.png Julie Jag
 | Dec. 3, 2020, 1:35 p.m.
| Updated: 1:47 p.m.

The U.S. Speedskating Long Track National Championships have been put on hold after a COVID-19 outbreak was detected among athletes.

The event, scheduled for Friday through Sunday at the Utah Olympic Oval, would have been just the second competition for American long track athletes this season.

The Oval was originally scheduled to host the third stop in the World Cup series this weekend. However, the International Skating Union canceled all 2020 World Cup races because of the virus and limits on international travel.

The national championships, typically held later in December, were then moved into that slot to allow athletes time to prepare for a pair of World Cup races tentatively scheduled for January in the Netherlands.

Athletes competing at nationals were required to arrive in Kearns no later than Sunday and submit to concurrent coronavirus tests Monday and Tuesday. USS officials learned of the positive tests Thursday morning and subsequently postponed the competition. A new date has not been set.

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Julie JagOutdoors Reporter

Julie left the beach of Santa Cruz, Calif., where she worked for 17 years, for the mountains of Salt Lake City in 2019. She has covered the NBA Finals, the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Maverick's big wave surf contest and two Olympics. A Colorado native, she enjoys creating her own adventure, occasionally with her husband and two kids in tow.