Early stages of the men's 20km race walk at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Taicang (© Getty Images)
The World Athletics Council has agreed to relocate the 2022 World Race Walking Team Championships, originally scheduled for Minsk in Belarus.
World Athletics is currently negotiating with alternative host cities for this event and expects to announce a new venue by the next Council meeting on 28-29 July.
The Council decision comes as a result of a report prepared by the World Athletics Risk Committee, which concluded that uncertainties around diplomatic relations and international travel restrictions with regard to Belarus would impact significantly on the staging of the championships in Minsk next year.
World Athletics remains confident in the local organising committee and the Belarus Athletics Federation which have worked hard and well to deliver this event, despite the challenges created by the pandemic, and regrets that circumstances beyond their control have led to this decision.
The priority now is to finalise another host for the event in April 2022, so that the athletes continue to have this important competitive opportunity.
Note: In 2017, Minsk was awarded the 2020 World Race Walking Team Championships, which was then postponed from May 2020 to 23-24 April 2022 due to Covid-19.
World Athletics