According to an announcement by the International World Games Association (IWGA), the 11th edition of The World Games originally scheduled to be held in Birmingham, Alabama on July 15th-25th in 2021 has been postponed until July 7th-17th, 2022.
However, unlike the many other powerlifting events that have had to reschedule or cancel due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, The World Games were postponed due to the confirmation of the new dates of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will now be held on July 23rd through August 8th in 2021. That would conflict with the last three days of The World Games. In their announcement, the IWGA and BOC stated:
Author’s Note: bolding done by the BarBend editorial team for emphasis.
“Keeping to the original dates in July 2021 would have meant excluding many athletes and officials involved in the Olympics, and would have led to a potential reduction in public and media interest.”
Powerlifting at The World Games
Unlike the Olympic Games, the World Games includes powerlifting as as discipline. Larysa Soloviova, competing in the women’s middleweight division, is the most decorated powerlifter in World Games history with four gold medals to her name. She won her division at the 2017 World Games in Wroclaw, Poland.
Why Wait a Full Year?
Upon hearing the announcement of the new dates for the 2020 Olympics, the IWGA and BOC sought out a new ten day period that could both fulfill the needed venue accommodations and be simultaneously supported by the services of International Sports Broadcasting (ISB).
“It soon became clear that only one 10-day period existed in which venues, accommodation and key partner support could be guaranteed: 7–17 July 2022.”
Still In Birmingham, Alabama
Although the dates have changed, the venue has not. The World Games will still take place in Birmingham, Alabama. The CEO of the BOC Nick Sellers stated in the announcement that:
“The World Games Birmingham will be a special time of reconnection as it will be the first major international multi sport event on American soil following this global pandemic, and we are fully confident that we will rise to the occasion.”
FAQs
What are The World Games?
The World Games is an international sports event that lasts for 11 days held once every four years. They are held each year following the summer Olympic Games.
When are The 2021 World Games?
The World Games originally scheduled to take place on July 15th-25th, 2021 have been postponed until July 7th-17th, 2022. The scheduling change was made to prevent conflict with the new dates of the Tokyo Olympic Games in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Where are The World Games held?
The World Games scheduled for July 7th-17th, 2022 will take place in Birmingham, Alabama.
Feature image via The World Games’s Instagram page: @theworldgames
