The International Skating Union (ISU) has officially announced the cancellation of the 2020 ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, which were set to take place next weekend in Seoul, South Korea.

On February 26, the ISU announced that the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, scheduled for March 13-15 in Seoul, South Korea, would not be staged as originally planned. This decision was made in light of the Coronavirus situation in South Korea, which forced authorities in the city of Seoul to close the Mokdong Ice Rink and order the cancellation of all planned competitions.

Since that announcement, the ISU evaluated the situation and concluded that, considering the current uncertain developments surrounding the Coronavirus, a rescheduling or relocation of the above-mentioned event within the current season, even if the season would be extended by several weeks after its normal end in early April, could not be reasonably considered.

Over the coming weeks, the ISU will evaluate, in cooperation with all stakeholders, whether the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2020 could possibly be held later in the year, but in any case not before mid-October 2020. A decision on this possibility will be announced as soon as possible by the ISU.

The ISU’s complete statements on the cancellation of the World Championships can be found below: