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The USATF recently announced that the United States will not be sending any teams to the U20 Championships that are scheduled to be held in Lima, Peru from August 26-31.
The USA Track and Field governing body has cited various reasons for this decision. Security concerns in Peru are one of the major reasons for this decision of the USATF especially after the growing civil unrest in the country.
Besides, the USATF has also addressed its problems with the event dates for the U20 championships. The championships are scheduled for August this time around during which the school and college athletes have to return to their institutions on account of preparations for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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Thus, the schedule of the championships clashes with the US academic calendar. Owing to this, the governing body has taken this surprising decision.
However, this is not the first instance that the US Track and Field governing body has taken such a decision. It took a similar stance three years ago during the Nigeria World U20 Championships.
The USA team has been one of the most successful participants in the event ever since its inception. It has finished with the highest medal tally a record nine times out of the last fifteen championships.
"Citing safety concerns, late date and competitive readiness, @USATF has announced it will not send a team to the U20 World Champs in Peru in August," RunnerSpace posted on its X (formerly Twitter) account.
USATF announces new schedule of events
The USA Track and Field Committee recently announced its six-event schedule for the year 2024. The Journey to Gold series of the USATF will kick off on April 28 with the Bermuda Grand Prix.
The campaign moves next to Arizona which will be hosting the Throws Festival 2024 at Drachman Stadium. The USATF Distance Classic and Los Angeles Grand Prix await next, which will be held at Drake Stadium on May 17th and 18th.
The schedule moves forward with the Nike Prefontaine Classic starting on May 25. The event will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene and will feature some of the most high-profile athletes in the country.
The NYC Grand Prix is the fifth event on the schedule and will feature numerous events such as hurdles, high jump, hammer, javelin, etc. The tournament will begin on June 9 and will be held at New York's Icahn Stadium.
The US Olympic Track and Field trials is the sixth and final event on this list which will provide an opportunity for athletes around the USA to book their place on the US Olympic team. It will be held from June 21-30 in Eugene.
