PUEBLO, Colo — The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) on Tuesday issued updated guidance for the upcoming high school wrestling state championships this weekend.
The championships are scheduled to take place at Southwest Motors Events Center in Pueblo from Thursday, March 11 through Saturday, March 13.
The CDPHE is requiring each athlete to provide a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of competition.
In a statement released Tuesday, the CDPHE said: "A recently completed study shows a higher number of outbreaks associated with club or high school sanctioned wrestling events compared to other sports. Due to the increased risk of COVID-19 transmission in this setting, CDPHE is requiring that all athletes participating in the 2021 Colorado state high school wrestling championships be tested prior to competition. This stipulation is a part of the Colorado High School Activities Association’s variance to allow high school athletics during COVID-19.
Athletes may provide a negative test result conducted up to 72 hours prior to the day of competition or they will be tested upon arrival at the CDPHE testing center the day of the competition. Students who test positive will not be allowed to compete and must isolate."
Girls wrestling is scheduled to complete its first sanctioned championships on Thursday night.
Classes 2A and 3A are slated to compete Friday, while 4A and 5A will wrestle on Saturday.
>>Video above: Wrestler still can't return to school without a COVID-19 test after three-week quarantine
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