The 2023 World Indoor Athletics Championships in Nanjing have been postponed until 2025 because of the Covid-19 pandemic in China, World Athletics has said.
It is the third time the Nanjing event has been postponed.
There will be no event in 2023, with the next scheduled for 2024 in Glasgow.
“This decision was taken with the agreement of both the Nanjing organising committee and the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA),” WA said.
WA president Lord Coe added: “We’re disappointed that we have had to postpone this event again due to circumstances beyond our control, but we have done so to give certainty to athletes and Member Federations preparing for the 2023 competition season.
“Unfortunately, the timeframe will prevent us from relocating the 2023 event, but the indoor championships will return in 2024 in Glasgow.”
Coe added that Nanjing, originally set to host the event in 2020 and again in 2021, had been given the opportunity in 2025 “because we are mindful of the substantial preparations the LOC has already done to host the event, and we want to avoid potential financial losses for all parties”.
