Pair of Diamond League meets in China called off due to COVID-related restrictions

Two Diamond League track meets scheduled to be held in China were cancelled Friday because of coronavirus-related restrictions and a substitute event in Poland was added to the calendar.

The mid-season meets in Shanghai and Shenzhen were called off "due to travel restrictions and strict quarantine requirements currently in place for entry into China," organizers said in a statement.

The league said it "looks forward to hosting events in China again from 2023 onwards."

China has stuck to its strict "zero-COVID" approach that restricts travel, tests entire cities and sets up sprawling facilities to try to isolate every infected person.

Two meets in China were also cancelled last year for similar reasons.