This year's World Archery Field Championships have been postponed until 2022 ©World Archery

This year's World Archery Field Championships in the United States have been postponed until 2022 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

World Archery said a one-year delay to the event in Yankton was rejected due to the volume of competitions that have already been rescheduled for 2021.

The tournament at NFAA Easton Yankton Archery – also set to host the World Archery Championships next year – has been pushed back by two years "to safeguard athlete wellbeing and due to restrictions still in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic", World Archery said.

The event will no longer act as the primary qualifier for the 2021 World Games in Birmingham, which have also been moved to 2022 due to the COVID-19 crisis.

A separate World Games qualifier is set to be held in the summer of 2021.

Yankton in the United States is due to host the World Field Archery Championships ©World Archery
Yankton in the United States is due to host the World Field Archery Championships ©World Archery

World Archery also confirmed the vote for the field archer representative on its Athletes' Committee would be delayed and is now scheduled to take place during the rearranged Championships.

Naomi Folkard of Britain will remain chairperson of the Athletes' Committee for an additional two years as a result.

World Archery secretary general Tom Dielen said the decision to postpone the Championships was taken with "huge regret" but "had to be made in the current climate".

"We will now focus on scheduling a successful World Games qualification event in 2021 and look forward to the Games and Championships in 2022," Dielen added.

World Archery has suspended all competitions until at least the end of this month and is due to provide an update on the resumption of the international calendar no later than July 1.