The World Athletics Relays that were scheduled to take place in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou in 2023 have been postponed until 2025 "due to the ongoing pandemic conditions," the governing World Athletics Council announced on Monday. 

Guangzhou won the bid to host the World Athletics Relays in 2021. The showpiece event has been staged every other year since 2015, and the last edition was in Silesia, Poland in May 2021.  

The decision to postpone the tournament was taken following an agreement between the Guangzhou organizing committee and the Chinese Athletics Association, according to a statement released by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.

"It is regrettable when we have to postpone an event," Coe said. "However, World Athletics and the local organizing committee are both committed to the responsible planning and delivery of the World Athletics Relays, which includes ensuring that athletes from all International Federations can participate in and enjoy an experience in a safe and healthy environment. 

"I want to thank our colleagues at the Chinese Athletics Association and the LOC (local organizing committee) for their efforts and cooperation in resolving this situation and look forward to 2025 when our hosts are able to stage a spectacular World Athletics Relays."  

The postponement will trigger a new relay qualification process for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in 2023. 

The World Athletics Council confirmed that it has revised the qualification system to include the top eight teams from the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon and the top eight teams from the performance lists. 

The rationale behind the change is to "replicate a similar qualification system by still qualifying part of the field through direct competition and part through performance in the qualification period," the track and field's governing body added. 

The World Athletics Relays are among several major sporting events in China being delayed because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Asian Games, due to take place in Hangzhou in September this year, have been rescheduled to 2023. The Chengdu World University Games, which had initially been scheduled for the summer of 2021, also moved to 2023.