Diamond League athletics meetings in China postponed due to COVID-19

Paris: Two Diamond League athletics meetings in China have been postponed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, organisers said Thursday. Shanghai was to have hosted a meeting on 14 August, following the Tokyo Olympics, with a second meeting, dubbed China2 but without a named city to date, to have welcomed participants on 22 August. However, “due to the combination of travel restrictions and strict quarantine requirements currently in place for entry into China, as well as the Olympic Games and other Wanda Diamond League meetings, these events are not able to be rescheduled into a busy summer programme,” organisers stated. “Both meetings are exploring the possibility of staging exhibition events after the series comes to a close at the Wanda Diamond League Final, which is due to be held in Zurich, on September 8th and 9th,” a statement read. Organisers stressed the season programme would “still take place as a full, structured series in which athletes compete for a place in the Final and a shot at the Diamond Trophy. “In order to ensure a structured and fair qualification for the Final, some disciplines which were scheduled to be held at the Chinese events will now be reallocated to other meetings.” The coronavirus crisis has severely disrupted the season schedule with the 23 May opener, slated originally for Rabat, moved to Gateshead in northeastern England. The Italian leg was moved six days to 10 June and held in Florence as Rome’s Olympic Stadium venue was being prepared to host Euro 2020 matches. Moreover, the Oslo leg, scheduled for 10 June, will now take place on 1 July and the London event will be moved to Gateshead for 13 July.