The national governing body have shifted their focus, they told SwimSwam, and instead plan to concentrate on the 2023 Summer World University Games in Yekaterinburg in Russia.

USA Swimming advised its national team and national junior team athletes of its decision to miss the Games, due to take place in the Chinese city between June 26 and July 7, last week.

The decision will be a big blow to the quality of the competition as the United States are the most successful country in swimming at the University Games.

Since making their debut in the Universiade at Budapest in 1965, the US has won a total of 748 medals in swimming, including 312 gold - more than the next four nations combined in the all-time table.

At the last Universiade in Naples in 2019, the US won a total of 40 medals in swimming, including 19 gold, to once again finish top.

A representative of the United States International University Sports Federation (USIUSF) told SwimSwam that previously when National Federations had chosen not to field a team they have instead sent representatives anyway, notably in baseball and basketball, and they planned to explore their options.

But USA Swimming have previously funded sending a team to the University Games, which means that the USIUSF would need to find additional money to finance the preparations and trip.

A US team for Chengdu was due to be selected in April at International Team Trials which had been primarily designed to choose swimmers to compete at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka in May.

It was announced by the Mayor in the Japanese city last week that the event had been postponed until 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

FINA, however, have yet to officially announce this, although a senior source at the world governing body did confirm to insidethegames that they had been pushed back by at least a year.

USA Swimming has said it will not release any further updates about its international plans until FINA confirm the 2022 calendar.