World Athletics Championships
Oregon 2022Original logo of the 2022 World Athletics Championships |
| Dates | 15–24 July 2022 |
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| Officially opened by | President Joe Biden (expected) |
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The 2022 World Athletics Championships, the eighteenth edition of the World Athletics Championships, are scheduled to be held in 2022 in Eugene, Oregon, United States.[1][2][3] Originally scheduled to be held from August 6–15, 2021, after the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics, World Athletics raised the possibility of changing the date of the 2021 Championships, including the possibility of moving into 2022.[4] On April 8, 2020, World Athletics announced that the event would take place from July 15–24, 2022.[5]
Host selection
The selection of the host city was announced on April 16, 2015 in Beijing.[6][7] Eugene was selected without a traditional bidding process, though Eugene did put in a bid for the 2019 World Championships, losing to Qatar.[2]
Runner's World magazine reported that Eugene's selection by World Athletics, then known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, was an "unusual move".[1] They report the Association "bypassed the usual bidding process," and that the choice of Eugene will make the 2021 event "the first held in the United States." The event will be the second held in North America, after Edmonton, Canada in 2001.
The Guardian reported that the lack of bidding triggered concern in European cities that had bid to host the event.[3]
They quoted Lamine Diack, IAAF president, who justified the lack of bidding with the claim the selection of Eugene to host the event, "enables us to take advantage of a unique opportunity to host a financially successful tournament that may never arise again.” The lack of bidding for the 2021 event was not unprecedented. The 2007 World Championship was awarded to Osaka, Japan, without bidding.
Entry standards
The World Athletics announced that athletes would qualify by their World Athletics Rankings position, wildcard (reigning world champion or 2021 Diamond League champion) or by achieving the entry standard.[8]
Qualification period valid for Entry Standards and World Rankings – For the Marathon and 35 km Race Walks: 18 months from 30 November 2020 to midnight 29 May 2022.
For the 10,000 m, 20 km Race Walks, Relays and Combined Events: 18 months from 27 December 2020 to midnight 26 June 2022.
For all other events: 12 months from 27 June 2021 to midnight 26 June 2022.
Wild Card as:
Countries who have no male and/or no female athletes who have achieved the Entry Standard or considered as having achieved the entry standard (see above) or qualified relay team, may enter one unqualified male athlete OR one unqualified female athlete in one event of the championships (except the road events and field events, combined events, 10,000 m and 3000 m steeplechase).
Target numbers
At the end of the qualification period, the 2021 IAAF World Rankings will be published on 28 June 2022 and will be used to invite additional athletes to the World Championships where the target number of athletes had not been achieved for that event through other methods of qualification. The maximum of three athletes per country in individual events is not affected by this rule. Member federations retain the right to confirm or reject athlete selections through this method. Where the highest ranked athletes are from a country that has already had three or more entrants for the event, or where the member federations rejected an entrant, the next highest ranked athlete becomes eligible for entry via world rankings.
Area Champions
The following regulations shall apply for Automatic Qualification to the 2022 World Athletics Championships (not applicable for relays and marathon).
1. The Area Champion (in each individual event to be contested at the World Championships) automatically qualifies for the World Championships, irrespective of whether his performance has reached the Entry Standard. This does not apply to 10,000 m, 3000 m Steeplechase, Combined Events, Field Events and Road Events where the entry of the athlete will be subject to the approval of the Technical Delegates.
2. The Area Champion shall be the one who has achieved the title either in 2020, 2021 or 2022.
3. The Member Federation of the Area Champion will have the ultimate authority to enter the athlete or not, based on its own domestic standard or qualification system.
4. If the Member Federation of the Area Champion enters the athlete, he will be considered as having achieved the Entry Standard.
5. If the Area Champion, for whatever reason, is not entered, his quota will not be delegated to the second placed athlete and the normal entry rules and conditions apply.
6. For those Area Championships that do not have certain events, the Area Associations can organize alternate Area-specific event Championships with conditions conforming to Area Championships Regulations. World Athletics shall be notified of such alternative Championships at least one month in advance of the events’ being held.
Venue
Hayward Field in 2007, prior to 2018 renovation
The championships will be held in the Hayward Field, at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, which is currently undergoing re-construction and will have a capacity of 30,000.[9]
