Coronavirus hits sport: Diamond League plans 'Impossible Games' exhibition, German football targets May return

Karsten Warholm will attempt to break the world 400m hurdles record in the event.
Karsten Warholm will attempt to break the world 400m hurdles record in the event. Photo credit: Getty

World Athletics has announced plans to stage an exhibition event in Oslo on June 12 (NZ time), dubbed the 'Impossible Games'. 

Aligned with Norway's governmental coronavirus restrictions, the meet would replace the cancelled Oslo Diamond League meet. 

The announcement comes as two meetings - Eugene, Oregon, on June 7 and Paris on June 13 - are postponed, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Diamond League meetings in Qatar, China, Sweden, Italy, Morocco, France and the US have now been called off.

The Oslo meet would be staged behind closed doors, while athletes would take part in an hour-long event, while observing Norway's coronavirus regulations and social-distancing protocols.

"This is really positive news for athletes and fans, and promises - even in this early stage - to be another great night of athletics," said World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.

Norway's double world champion, Karsten Warholm, will attempt to break the world 400m hurdles record, while new world recordholder Mondo Duplantis and multiple Diamond League champion Renaud Lavillenie will contest the pole vault.

The next scheduled Diamond League meet is London on July 4, followed by Monaco on July 10.

Bundesliga 'ready to return' in May

The Bundesliga is ready to return on May 9, if the German government gives it the green light.

The league was suspended mid-March, due to the coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 148,000 and killed over 5000 people in Germany.

Earlier this month, teams in Germany's top two divisions returned to training, as the country relaxed social-distancing restrictions imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Kiwi Sarpreet Singh is contracted to German giants Bayern Munich.
Kiwi Sarpreet Singh is contracted to German giants Bayern Munich. Photo credit: Getty

They now hope to complete the 2019/20 German Football League (DFL) campaign by June 30.

Finishing the season would see German clubs receive scheduled payments from broadcast partners, although the DFL admits, if the season cannot restart or is forced to stop again, it would face further economic difficulties.

The restart is expected some time in May, but only with government approval, which could happen at a meeting between Chancellor Angela Merkel and state leaders in Berlin next week.

"If we should start on May 9, we are ready," says DFL chief executive Christian Seifert. "If it is later, we will be ready again.

If approved, the Bundusliga would become the first major European football competition to return to action. 

Reuters/Newshub.