The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced on Friday that the Japanese city of Yokohama will host the 2019 World Relays at International Stadium Yokohama on May 11-12.
The event will be related to both the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Top 12 teams in world rankings will be qualified for the competitions in Doha while the best eight will make their way to Tokyo.
The 2019 World Relays will happen at International Stadium Yokohama. /VCG Photo
At the press conference held by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) on Friday, Ryota Yamagata, one of the country's best sprinters attended as a guest and said: "It (2019 World Relays) will be a good event to watch. I hope every seat of the stadium will be taken."
This will be the first time the World Relays will happen outside of Nassau in the Bahamas since 2014. According to the IAAF, the Bahamas government could not continue hosting the event for financial reasons.
Japan wins silver medals in men's 4x100m relay at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. /VCG Photo
"It will be an extremely rare chance for our Japanese athletes that are looking at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. We are very honored to host such a valuable event here in Yokohama," said Fumiko Hayashi, mayor of Yokohama.
With a population of about 3.7 million, Yokohama is Japan's second biggest city in this sector. The International Stadium Yokohama has a seating capacity of 70,000. "Next year will be a year away from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. So many of the world's top sprinters will come to the World Relays in Japan in high spirits with the games in mind," said JAAF president Hiroshi Yokokawa.