(c) 2020 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

(08-Apr) -- World Athletics and the local organizing committee in Eugene, Ore., jointly announced today that the next World Athletics Championships would be held in 2022, pushed back by a full year due to the one-year postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. These championships, originally scheduled for August 6 - 15, 2021, will now be held from July 15 - 24, 2022, at the new Hayward Field at the University of Oregon which is still under construction. Over 2000 athletes from more than 200 countries are expected to participate.

The World Athletics Council approved the new dates this week after what officials said was "extensive discussions with the sport's stakeholders" including organizers of two other major championships due to take place in July and August, 2022: the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, and the multi-sport European Championships in Munich which includes the European Athletics Championships.

"This will be a bonanza for athletics fans around the world," commented World Athletics president Sebastian Coe through a statement. He pointed out that the World Athletics Championships, Commonwealth Games and European Athletics Championships would be held in rapid succession. "(The fans) will be treated to six weeks of absolutely first-class athletics," Coe continued. "More than 70 of our member federations are part of the Commonwealth, and more than 50 of our member federations are European so our guiding principle in rescheduling the World Championships was to ensure enough space was created around the centerpiece World Athletics Championship for athletes to choose other major events to compete in."

With today's announcement, the summer of 2022 schedule will be as follows:

July 15 - 24: World Athletics Championships, Eugene, Ore., United States

July 27 - August 7: Commonwealth Games, Birmingham, England

August 11 - 21: European Championships, Munich, Germany

Oregon21, LLC --the local organizing committee-- said that they would have to change their name and rebrand.

"The new date will require a change in the name of the event from World Athletics Championships Oregon21, along with a rebrand in the coming months including logo adaptation, website content, and the legal name change of the local organizing committee," Oregon21 said in a statement. "The team is ready to continue its work alongside all its partners to deliver a world-class event and to take every advantage of the extra year of planning time that's been given. Although a year later than anticipated Oregon21, LLC looks forward to the opportunity that Oregon has to host this prestigious event and showcase the region to the world."