The international governing bodies for aquatics (swimming) and track and field are determining the flexibility of the dates of their summer 2021 World Championships now that the Tokyo Olympics will be moved to 2021.
Specific dates for the Tokyo Games have not been determined, but they will be rescheduled beyond 2020 for not later than summer 2021.
The 2021 World Aquatics Championships, which include swimming, diving, water polo and artistic (synchronized) swimming, are scheduled for July 16-Aug. 1 in Fukuoka, Japan.
The 2021 World Track and Field Championships are scheduled for Aug. 6-15 in Eugene, Ore.
FINA, the international governing body for aquatic sports, said it will work with the 2021 Worlds organizing committee, the Japan Swimming Federation and Japanese public authorities to determine date flexibility, if necessary and in agreement with the IOC.
Cornel Marculescu, FINA’s executive director, said there is no chance of the next worlds being bumped back to 2022.
“No, no, no, no, no, no,” he defiantly told The Associated Press by phone.
Marculescu said the IOC is considering two options for the Summer Games, which will have a direct impact on FINA’s next move.
“If they do it in summer, then we (will have to change) the dates (of the world championships),” he said. “If they do it at the beginning of the year, maybe we don’t need to touch the dates. The only thing we do, we wait to see what is the IOC decision.”
World Athletics has been in discussion with its 2021 Worlds organizing committee regarding the possibility of changing dates. The committee “reassured us that they will work with all of their partners and stakeholders to ensure that Oregon is able to host the World Athletics Championships on alternative dates, including dates in 2022,” according to a release.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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