World Athletics, track and field’s global governing body, has postponed the upcoming World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Nanjing, China, due to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. The most significant sporting event to be affected by the virus to date.
The indoor championships were scheduled to begin on Friday, March 13 and run through Sunday, March 15. On Sunday, the Asian Athletics Association canceled its indoor championships, which were slated to be held in Hangzhou.
Coronavirus has sickened more than 6,000 people and killed at least 132 in China so far. There is no known vaccine for the virus, which is believed to have spread to humans in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
The World Athletics issued the following statement :
“We know that China is doing all it can to contain the new Coronavirus and we support them in all their efforts but it is necessary to provide our athletes, Member Federations and partners with a clear way forward in what is a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances.
The advice from our medical team, who are in contact with the World Health Organisation, is that the spread of the Coronavirus both within China and outside the country is still at a concerning level and no one should be going ahead with any major gathering that can be postponed.
We have considered the possibility of relocating the event to another country and would like to thank the cities that have volunteered to host the championships. However, given concerns still exist regarding the spread of the virus outside China, we have decided not to go with this option, as it may lead to further postponement at a later date.
The indoor season for athletics falls within a narrow calendar window (up to the end of March) and we believe we will be able to find a suitable date in 2021 to host this event. We would like Nanjing to be the host given the extensive planning and preparation they have put into this event.
We have chosen not to cancel the championships as many of our athletes would like this event to take place so we will now work with our athletes, our partners and the Nanjing organizing committee to secure a date in 2021 to stage this event.”
A major international sporting event has been postponed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The World Athletics Indoor Championships is a biennial event and among the most important dates in the sport, perhaps second only to the Olympic Games. It is the latest in a string of sporting events that have been affected by coronavirus, from World Cup skiing races to boxing tournaments and Olympic qualifying events.
Organizers for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo said in a statement that they are also carefully monitoring “any incidence of infectious diseases” and “will review any countermeasures that may be necessary with all relevant organizations.”
“Countermeasures against infectious diseases constitute an important part of our plans to host a safe and secure games,” organizers said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press.