World Athletics hopeful attacks on Ukraine will not affect upcoming championships

As the world continues to witness the senseless killing of Ukrainians after Russia launched a full-scale military attack on their Eastern European neighbours, athletics governing body World Athletics remains hopeful the war will not disrupt its upcoming international events. 

In a statement, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, while condemning the invasion said the federation is monitoring the situation and remained hopeful that the Race Walking Team Championships as well as the World Indoor Championships will not be disrupted. 

“World Athletics is appalled by developments in Ukraine and condemns the Russian military invasion. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has spoken with his senior vice-president Sergey Bubka and the Ukrainian Athletics Federation and has offered whatever practical support we can give. 

We continue to monitor the situation carefully, but there is no reason to believe this will affect plans for the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Muscat 22 or the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22. Should these circumstances change, we will notify all our stakeholders promptly,” read the statement.  

Race Walking Team Championships Muscat 22 will take place over the weekend of 4 Friday and 5 Saturday, March 2022. The seven-race categories will be split between the two days, with staggered start times from early morning to late afternoon and early evening to ensure the distance races are held during optimal conditions. 

This is the first time the championship is being held in the Middle East. It is also the first time an Asian nation other than China has hosted the event. The championship was originally due to be held in Minsk, Belarus, but travel restrictions caused by Covid-19 forced the event to be rescheduled. 

Racing will take place around the pristine landscaped gardens of the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC) in the heart of Muscat. The week of racing will be a celebration of athletics with fun runs taking place on either side of the main competition, as well as an on-site health and fitness exhibition to help inspire local athletes and visitors to become more active. 

Meanwhile, the World Indoor event is set for 18 to 20 March in Belgrade, Serbia. Belgrade was chosen to host the championships in November 2019.