COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The U.S. team has delayed its trip to the Women's World Hockey Championships in Beijing because of a deadly flu-like illness in China.

Defending champion Canada made the same decision Wednesday, meaning the two best teams may not compete.

Canada won the 2001 title with a 3-2 victory over the United States. There was no world championship in 2002, an Olympic year.

The U.S. team was scheduled to leave Thursday from Chicago and arrive in Beijing on Friday. USA Hockey officials will monitor the situation and said the earliest the team could leave is next week. The championships are April 3-9.

The Chinese government said nearly three dozen people have died and almost 800 are ill from severe acute respiratory syndrome. There are more than 1,300 cases worldwide, with most in Asian countries.