World Athletics has issued a statement detailing that due to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to postpone Tokyo 2020 to 2021, the World Athletics Championships will be delayed until 2022.
The biennial competition was originally scheduled for August 6, 2021 however the decision has been made to move the event from its planned date as it would now not only clash with the Paralympics but it would also give competing Olympians minimal recovery time between events.
A World Athletics spokesperson stated: “We support the new 2021 dates for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games announced today by the Japanese organisers and the IOC. This gives our athletes the time they need to get back into training and competition.
“Everyone needs to be flexible and compromise and to that end we are now working with the organisers of the World Athletics Championships in Oregon on new dates in 2022 for our World Athletics Championships.
“We are also in discussions with the Commonwealth Games Federation and the European Championships. We would like to thank our Oregon 21 Organising Committee, their stakeholders and our partners for their collaboration and willingness to explore all options.”
The COVID-19 outbreak has caused nearly every sporting event to either be moved or cancelled as the world tries to combat the pandemic, with the virus also financially impacting sports.
Just this week Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) revealed its $40m recovery plan, providing clubs with $2.5m each as the league’s financial status continues to worsen.
Meanwhile, the Premier League is working on its plans to conclude the 2019/20 season to ensure broadcast contracts aren’t breached.
Insider Insight: World Athletics’ decision to quickly announce its plans is a shrewd decision. Whilst the dates have not been confirmed, providing a time scale benefits sponsors, broadcasters and athletes as more clarity is given on the situation allowing for new plans to be created.
