The announcement was made by the FIL office in Berchtesgaden in Germany.

According to Luge Canada President Steve Harris, track operator WinSport cannot guarantee the 50th edition of the event would go ahead in Calgary due to delays in the planned conversion and modernisation measures.

Luge Canada executive director Tim Farstad told Global News: "We have to apply for grants, we have to start taking steps to develop and organise the programme for the event.

"We can’t wait until next year or next summer, we had to make the decision now."

As reported by Global News, WinSport announced earlier this year it would be closing the track until further notice.

Officials stated the track requires a new refrigeration system, which would cost CAD$25 million (£14.6 million/$18.6 million/€16.6 million).

WinSport is said to have received CAD$17 million (£10 million/$12.6 million/€11.3 million) in Government funding for the repairs and upgrades, but is still CAD$8 million (£4.7 million/$5.9 million/€5.3 million) shy of the total amount needed.

"We are hopeful that we’ll find a funding solution to complete the construction to open for the 2020-2021 season," WinSport spokesperson Dale Oviatt wrote in an email, as reported by Global News.

"Even when that is complete, it wouldn’t be feasible to host the Worlds in 2021 due to the lead-up time required for such an important event.

"While WinSport’s preference is to host it in Calgary, due to the aforementioned, Whistler is the next best option."

The relocation of the 2021 FIL World Championships is on the agenda at the upcoming FIL Congress, scheduled to take place on June 14 and 15 in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana.

The Congress will decide on the motion.

Applications from other national federations to host the 2021 FIL World Championships can be submitted up until Saturday (June 1).

Calgary had originally been awarded the 2021 FIL World Championships in June 2017.

A vote at the FIL Congress in Constanța in Romania saw the city defeat German challenger Oberhof by 20 votes to 15.

It would have been playing host for the fourth time, having previously staged the 1990, 1993 and 2001 editions.

Whistler staged the event, which was first held in Norway's capital Oslo in 1955, for the one and only time in 2013.

It came three years after the town played a key role in hosting the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

This included holding the luge competitions at Whistler Sliding Centre.