After Careful Consideration, USATF Decides To Field A U20 World Team – FloTrack

After previously announcing that it would not field and take a team to the World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru in August, U.S.A. Track and Field (USATF) announced on Monday that it has reversed its decision.

In a press release published on Monday, USATF said that it will indeed send a U.S. team to the World U20 Championships at the end of August.

This decision comes just a month after USATF decided to pull its involvement in the championships, citing various issues including current travel advisories — Peru has a Level 2 travel advisory according to the U.S. Department of State — and competitive readiness.

USATF stated in the release that it consulted both World Athletics and the World U20 Championships Local Organizing Committee in Lima and got assurance that safety measures would be in place, and USATF therefore has decided it will send a team to the championships.

In USATF’s recent statement:

“Following careful assessment and consultation with World Athletics and the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships Local Organizing Committee (LOC), USA Track and Field has received reassurance of sufficient safety measures that will be in place at the event and has made the decision to field a team to represent Team USA at the Championships taking place August 26-31, 2024, in Lima, Peru.

The safety and well-being of USATF athletes, coaches, managers, and staff remain our top priority, and we will continue to communicate closely with all relevant stakeholders. USATF is committed to providing our athletes with the highest level of competitive opportunities on their journey to gold. The full team announcement will be made after the USATF Under-20 Championships, which will be held on June 12-13, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon.” 

The last time the U.S. pulled out from World U20s was in 2021 when the championships were held in Nairobi, Kenya. Team USA pulled out due to safety concerns and COVID. 

The U.S. will play host to the 2026 World U20 Championships when the competition takes place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

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