Britain has pulled out of this year’s World Athletics U20 Championships in Kenya because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event is due to take place in Nairobi between August 17 and 22 having been rearranged following its postponement last year. In 2018, Britain also pulled out of the World Athletics U18 Championships held in Nairobi due to 'Security concerns'.
Kenya is among the countries the United Kingdom Government has listed as "red countries" which they warn are at the highest risk from COVID, and should not be visited "except in the most extreme of circumstances."
"This decision has been reached for a number of reasons including UK Government guidance not to travel to red list countries, the associated risks with COVID-19 variants, the significant cost and time required in quarantine both in Kenya and UK, but most importantly the wellbeing of our athletes, coaches and support team," UK Athletics said in a statement.
Kenya has so far recorded more than 174,000 coronavirus cases with 3,378 deaths.
Kenya was awarded the event by World Athletics after it successfully staged the International Association of Athletics Federations - as the world governing body was then called - World U18 Championships.
Britain were among several countries that missed that event after withdrawing due to security concerns.
Britain were part of a group that included Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United States who withdrew from that event following warnings about the increased threat of terrorism.