The International Biathlon Union (IBU) has canceled the 2020 Summer Biathlon World Championships in Germany over the novel coronavirus pandemic.
According to the IBU press service, the decision was taken by the IBU Executive Board on Sunday after a two-day videoconference.
The Championships were scheduled to take place in Ruhpolding, Germany, on August 19 to 23.
"It is with great sadness that we have had to cancel this year’s Summer Biathlon World Championships. We understand that it will be a great disappointment to all the athletes who have been training for the event and the fans who have been looking forward to it," IBU President Olle Dahlin said.
"We are committed to delivering fair and safe competitions but with the challenges and uncertainty caused by COVID-19 it was agreed that it was not possible to hold the event this year," TASS cited him as saying.
The IBU Executive Board also said the organization’s Congress had been postponed from September to November.
The next Summer Biathlon World Championships will be held in Nove Mesto in the Czech Republic in 2021.
