Belgrade, Yangzhou to host 2022 World Athletics Series competitions

Serbia will stage its first-ever World Athletics Series event after its capital, Belgrade, was confirmed as the host city of the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships at the World Athletics Council Meeting here on Friday.

Belgrade has been host to several major track and field events over the years - including the 1962 European Championships, 2013 European Cross Country Championships, 2017 European Indoor Championships and the 2017 Balkan Championships.

Belgrade's Stark Arena, which seats 18,386 for sporting events, has been used for the 2009 Universiade, the Davis and Fed Cup, the World Championships in karate, and the World Cup finals in volleyball.

The Chinese city of Yangzhou has been confirmed as the host city of the 2022 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships.

China, one of the fastest-growing markets in road running, has 24 World Athletics Label road races in 2019, more than any other country. It hosted the World Half Marathon Championships in 2010 in Nanning and will stage next year's World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing.

Yangzhou, a city of 4.5 million people, stages an annual Gold Label half marathon. The course records of 59:52 and 1:07:21, set by Mosinet Geremew in 2015 and Peres Jepchirchir in 2016 respectively, are the fastest times ever recorded in China.

"We're very pleased to announce that Belgrade will host the 2022 World Indoor Championships and Yangzhou will host the World Half Marathon Championships," said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.

"Both presentations were comprehensive and we are very excited about going there," he added.

( With inputs from ANI )