World Indoor Track and Field Championships postponed over fear of coronavirus
Another sporting event in China has been canceled over fear of spreading the coronavirus. The World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Nanjing have been postponed.
The event was scheduled to take place March 13-15. World Athletics, which governs the sport of track and field, issued a statement explaining its decision to postpone the event.
In the statement, World Athletics noted that China is doing everything possible to contain the coronavirus, but the organization wanted to postpone the event to give athletes “a clear way forward in what is a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances.”
While the group considered moving the Championships to another country, it decided against that because “concerns still exist regarding the spread of the virus outside China.”
As a result, World Athletics plans to hold the event in March 2021. The group said it would like to return to Nanjing for the Championships.
The coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has killed over 130 people. The virus has spread to multiple countries, including the United States.
The World Indoor Track and Field Championships are not the first sporting event in China to be impacted due to the coronavirus. Olympic boxing and soccer qualifiers have been canceled as the country hopes to stop the spread of the virus.
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