The pandemic of COVID-19 has changed all aspects of life and sport is no exception. Social distancing steps, implemented to restrict the spread of coronavirus, have had a significant effect on sporting fixtures. It has impacted every part of the sport, from the athletes themselves to media coverage.
It’s not shocking that COVID-19 has revised the sporting calendar, with professional leagues suspending their operations everywhere to restrict the spread of the virus. Only the Summer Olympics, which is usually one of the most-watched sporting events in the world, is moved back a year.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed by a year, and will instead run from July 23-August 8, 2021.
After the postponement of the Olympic Games, the 2021 swimming world championships scheduled to be held in Fukuoka, Japan is moved back on to May 2022.
The world championships were expected to take place in Fukuoka from July 16-August 1 next year but now will take place from May 13-29 in 2022, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) said in a statement.
In order to avoid a clash with the postponed Tokyo Olympics, Swimming’s world governing body FINA rescheduled the 2021 Fukuoka aquatics world championships to May 2022 on Monday (Apr 4)
FINA based in Lausanne had to move the championships because the Jul 16 to Aug 1, 2021, slot clashed with the new date for the Tokyo Games, which had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After consultation with broadcasters, competitors, and national federations, follows similar steps by athletics and soccer for the Oregon World Championships and the European Football Championship for women respectively.
Soichiro Takashima, Fukuoka’s mayor, said the competition schedule would not be eliminated. “We can’t let our guard down, of course, because of lingering COVID-19 concerns here in Fukuoka City,” added the Mayor.
