No Dog Mushing at This Year’s Arctic Winter Games, Despite Efforts
Dog mushing will not return to this year's Arctic Winter Games, despite efforts from the host society to bring the sport back to the upcoming games in March.
That is reported by CBC.
The international committee says there are not enough participants to make it a proper competition. Dog mushing was last part of the games in 2018. At the time, only athletes from Alaska and the N.W.T. competed. For this edition of the games, the sport was pitched as part of the new "regionally relevant sport" category, as the sport is regionally relevant to Canada.
Nevertheless, there was not enough participation to bring dog mushing to the 2024 games, with some speculation that the logistics of traveling with and caring for dogs abroad is partly to blame.
The Arctic Winter Games is a biennial multi-sport and indigenous cultural event. It involves circumpolar peoples in a celebration of "sport, social exchange, and culture." The 2024 edition will be held in Mat-Su Valley, Alaska.
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