The World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 23 will not go ahead as planned due to the continued adverse effects of COVID-19. A decision to postpone the event was revealed on Monday by the World Athletics Council.
The decision was reached following consultations between World Athletics, the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA), and local organizers.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe commented, “it is regrettable when we have to postpone an event. However, World Athletics and the local organizing committee are both committed to the responsible planning and delivery of the World Athletics Relays, which includes ensuring that athletes from all international federations are able to participate in and enjoy an experience in a safe and healthy environment.”
Monday’s postponement comes months after other high profile events in the country were postponed, including the 2022 Asian Games and 2021 World University Games. It adds to the air of uncertainty around major events set to be staged in China.
Domestic authorities have taken a zero tolerance stance against COVID-19, using community lockdowns and temporary transit suspensions to combat the spread of the virus. A strict bubble was in place when the country held the latest edition of the Winter Olympics last February in Beijing.
As part of his statement on Monday, Coe thanked local organizers for their efforts in organizing the event, stating, “I want to thank our colleagues at the Chinese Athletics Association and the LOC for their efforts and cooperation in resolving this situation and look forward to 2025 when our hosts are able to stage a spectacular World Athletics Relays.”
World Athletics confirmed an alternative qualification procedure for the 2023 World Athletics Championships as part of the postponement.
The top eight teams from the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon are now set to gain automatic entry into the 2023 World Athletics Championships in lieu of a direct qualification opportunity next spring.
It’s unclear how the postponement may affect the larger global athletics calendar or the participation of national teams in the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
The World Athletics Council will select a host for the 2024 edition of the event at their meeting in Rome on November 30, 2022. Exact dates for the postponed 2023 World Athletics Relays remain to be determined.
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
