2020 World Indoors in China is POSTPONED until 2021 due to Coronavirus

I think this is the right call. The Daily Mail had already reported GB was not planning on sending a team, and I expect several other countries may have pulled out as well. Plus many of the top Americans seemed to be skipping it. Not that every top American runs World Indoors to begin with, but the late end to the 2019 season and the relatively early start for the Olympics (July 31) meant that not many athletes also wanted to peak for World Indoors in between.

World Athletics did explore relocating the event somewhere else in 2020 but "given concerns still exist regarding the spread of the virus outside China, we have decided not to go with this option, as it may lead to further postponement at a later date."

So, back to back European and World Indoors next year. I don't think many will do both.

Oh well...USA indoors will just be another meet.

What could make for logistical problems is that world indoors will be at least 2 weeks before the world cross country championship meet in Australia. Will World Athletics send two separate event teams or will there just be one team that goes from China to Australia and hope the LOCs in both countries have their act together?

Is there much of a point to World Indoors, other than the semi-pros who get a chance to make Team USA since the top-pros don't really contest the indoor season (since there isn't really much money in it)?

Jonathan Gault wrote:

I think this is the right call. The Daily Mail had already reported GB was not planning on sending a team, and I expect several other countries may have pulled out as well.

Wasn't sending a team? How in the world could they? Brtiain has banned all flights from UK to China. It actually looks like all airlines are doing it now.

Thank God I procrastinated and hadn't purchased any LetsRun tickets. Do you think we'd be able to get a refund from the airline if they start them up again? Dealing with airlinse is a ****.

I feel bad for King Ches. He finally gets a chance to run a Worlds and now is out of luck.

C/M Runner wrote:

Is there much of a point to World Indoors, other than the semi-pros who get a chance to make Team USA since the top-pros don't really contest the indoor season (since there isn't really much money in it)?

There is not. There is virtually no money, the events are nonsensical (60m? 60m hurdles? 3000m?), and the top runners indeed no longer compete. It's the equivalent of pre-season games for every other sport.

Seyta wrote:

C/M Runner wrote:

Is there much of a point to World Indoors, other than the semi-pros who get a chance to make Team USA since the top-pros don't really contest the indoor season (since there isn't really much money in it)?

There is not. There is virtually no money, the events are nonsensical (60m? 60m hurdles? 3000m?), and the top runners indeed no longer compete. It's the equivalent of pre-season games for every other sport.

Well, the 3k is now a DL event, en lieu of the steeplechase and long-distance events.

Yeah it's the right call to move the location, but is postponing the whole event another year necessary? Why not just have it this year and next if Nanjing really wants to host. What sport cancels a world championship for a virus? I don't care if it's just indoor, the fact that people see this happening is the reason the sport comes off more unpopular than it already is.

Maybe I'm discrediting the logistics associated with it, but it's World's indoor, it doesn't have to be that fancy. It's looked like a middle school meet every year compared to the outdoor championships anyways. Just move it to February 28th or group it in with the last world indoor tour meet (21st in France). Whoever shows up is whoever shows up.

I heard Emma Coburn was going to protest this championship anyway.

Seyta wrote:

C/M Runner wrote:

Is there much of a point to World Indoors, other than the semi-pros who get a chance to make Team USA since the top-pros don't really contest the indoor season (since there isn't really much money in it)?

There is not. There is virtually no money, the events are nonsensical (60m? 60m hurdles? 3000m?), and the top runners indeed no longer compete. It's the equivalent of pre-season games for every other sport.

You cannot be serious.

If you ARE serious, you're seriously mistaken.

In 2018 the prize money was:

Individual events (total US$2,288,000)

1st US$40,000

2nd US$20,000

3rd US$10,000

4th US$8000

5th US$6000

6th US$4000

Relays per team (total US$176,000)

1st US$40,000

2nd US$20,000

3rd US$10,000

4th US$8000

5th US$6000

6th US$4000

World record bonus

US$50,000 for any athlete setting a world record.

Two years ago many of the best of the world were running in the worlds indoors 1500/3000m: Dibaba, Hassan, Muir, Obiri, Houlihan, Kejelcha, Tefera, Barega, Lewandowski...

Obviously some athletes will usually be skipping the event but especially in a year w/o Olympics the fields are often quite strong, especially in the short sprints, middle distance and also the field events.

To be fair, that’s probably how much NFL players make in the preseason ?

But, I agree that is some cash for the track world.

What sort of effect does this have on USA indoors? Do some people drop out who were initially planning on competing but now would rather run a fast time not at altitude? Does USATF still run "off" distances next year or do they run regular distances 3 years in a row?

Good call to move their world indoor to next year but they should absolutely shift countries for world indoors this year, because a lot of athletes have planned their seasons around it. If there's a worry about Chinese athletes and coaches spreading the virus, just require pre-flight screening.

Many cities could easily handle the event on short notice, I am sure.

At least three Canadians are being imprisoned right now in China.

One has been sentenced to death for smuggling drugs.

China and World Athletics can go to hell for doing business together.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6270013/canadians-detained-china-1-year/

I support a new governing body of track and field. I will donate $400 Canadian if you and Wejo agree to start something.

Will the winners be considered the 2021 world champ, or the postponed 2020 world champ?

They couldn't move the meet to another country? No one wanted it?

What if a relay team set a world record? Does each person get US$50k? That’s like US$200k right there!

imarussianasset wrote:

Will the winners be considered the 2021 world champ, or the postponed 2020 world champ?

Good question. To follow up, does that mean that the qualifiers for the postponed 2020 Indoor World Championships will come from USA Indoors in 2020, or 2021?