World Rowing Championships remain on schedule after Hurricane Irma

The 2017 World Rowing Championships remain on schedule following Hurricane Irma’s arrival and subsequent exit from Sarasota County late Sunday and early Monday.

A news release from the event’s organizing committee said that after assessing Irma’s damage, Sarasota County officials granted the local organizing committee access to continue operations.

“The local organizing committee for the 2017 World Rowing Championships would like to thank the Sarasota County Emergency Management Department and all of the local and state officials for their preparation, communication and mobilization efforts, in keeping the community safe during Hurricane Irma,” 2017 World Rowing Championships executive director Meredith Scerba said in the release.

The latest update came a day after the organizing committee released a statement about beginning an overall damage assessment after Irma vacated the area.

The event starts Saturday, Sept. 23, with the opening ceremony, which is free to the public. That’s at 7 p.m., and the event runs until Sunday, Oct. 1.

Also in the news release, committee manager of athlete services Kristen Hartley was said to remain in constant communication with team managers from each participating country, confirming their arrival schedules.

Teams are set to arrive in Florida later this week for training.

This story was originally published September 12, 2017 at 4:34 PM with the headline "World Rowing Championships remain on schedule after Hurricane Irma."