Athletics-Olympic qualification suspended until December

The governing body of athletics has suspended Olympic qualification until December due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has forced the Tokyo Games to be postponed until 2021, it said on Tuesday. "During this period, results achieved at any competition will not be considered for Tokyo 2020 entry standards or world rankings," said World Athletics in a statement.

Qualification would restart on Dec. 1 and continue until the end of May or June next year, depending on the event, it added. World Athletics also said that half of the staff at its Monaco headquarters would be furloughed on full pay. (Writing by Brian Homewood Editing by Toby Davis)