Running News Daily

The world athletics championships set for move due to postponed Olympics

The decision to postpone this summer's Olympic Games has been met with almost universal welcome and praise.

The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) say the decision is the "correct" one under "difficult circumstances".

But the lifting of the XXXII Olympiad and plonking it down into the following summer comes with its own scheduling challenges.

The 2021 World Athletics Championships are due to be held in Eugene, Oregon from August 6 to 15.

Even if the Olympics doesn't stick to roughly the same timetable (July 24 to August 9), it will present a problem about how best to prepare for both prestigious track and field championships.

World Athletics seem open to whatever suggestion is thrown at them regarding potential rescheduling.

In a statement they say they could even move next year's World Championships to the summer of 2022.

World Athletics say they're committed to producing an outdoor season of some description this year, even if it starts later and ends later than it usually would.

The opening two Diamond League meetings of the year in Doha and China have already been postponed.

The next stop in Stockholm remains pencilled in for May 24, but with athletes currently unable to train it would appear that is unlikely to go ahead either.

World Athletics' statement reads:

World Athletics welcomes the decision of the IOC and the Japanese Government to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to 2021.

It is what athletes want and we believe this decision will give all athletes, technical officials and volunteers some respite and certainty in these unprecedented and uncertain times.

Athletics will continue to do whatever it can to preserve and create an outdoor season of one-day meetings in 2020, starting and ending later than usual, so athletes, when they are able and it is safe to, will have access to competitions in every region.

This will help them benchmark their performances and adjust their training accordingly for an Olympic Games in 2021.

In light of this announcement, we will also expedite our current review of the Olympic qualification system, in cooperation with the IOC, and release any changes to the process as soon as possible so athletes know where they stand.

World Athletics stands ready to work with the IOC and all sport on an alternative date for the Olympic Games in 2021 and has already been in discussion with the Organising Committee of the World Athletics Championships Oregon 21 regarding the possibility of moving the dates of this highly popular worldwide event.

They have reassured us that they will work with all of their partners and stakeholders to ensure that Oregon is able to host the World Athletics Championships on alternative dates, including dates in 2022.