The Cuban national rowing team has pulled out of this year’s Windermere Cup, the University of Washington announced Tuesday, but the Huskies will face Russia and Cambridge in the 30th anniversary of Seattle’s banner rowing regatta.
Cuba canceled its planned trip to the United States — one of the first by a Cuban national sports team since the countries re-established diplomatic relations in July 2015 — to focus on its training for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, UW head coach Michael Callahan said.
“We completely understand Cuba’s desire to focus on the upcoming Olympic Games,” he said.