The World Indoor Athletics Championships, scheduled to be held in Nanjing from March 17 to 19 in 2023, have been postponed due to the ongoing pandemic conditions in China, the sport's governing body World Athletics said on Thursday.

Nanjing, in east China's Jiangsu Province, was initially selected to host the 2020 World Indoor Athletics Championships, which was first postponed until March 2021, and then to March 2023, due to the continuing pandemic.

World Athletics said the decision to postpone the 2023 event was taken with the agreement of both the Nanjing organizing committee and the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA).

"We're disappointed that we have had to postpone this event again due to circumstances beyond our control, but we have done so to give certainty to athletes and member federations preparing for the 2023 competition season," said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.

"Unfortunately, the time frame will prevent us from relocating the 2023 event, but the indoor championships will return in 2024 in Glasgow.

"We have offered Nanjing the 2025 edition because we are mindful of the substantial preparations the LOC (local organizing committee) has already done to host the event and we want to avoid potential financial losses for all parties."

The next edition of the championships will now be in Glasgow, Scotland, between March 1 and 3, 2024, and the bid process has already commenced for the 2026 edition of the championships, which is why 2025 has been designated as the year for the Nanjing championships, World Athletics explained. 

According to World Athletics, despite this postponement, athletes will still have substantial competitive opportunities available in the early part of 2023 through the World Athletics Indoor Tour, which will offer a full calendar of events from late January to March (more events to be added) and is organized across four different tiers of competition – Gold, Silver, Bronze and Challenger.

(With input from agencies)