The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) has rescheduled the European Championships in Moscow, Russia for the second time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will select two climbers (one male, one female) for a Tokyo 2020 - now rescheduled to 2021 - Olympic quota place. Initially planned to take place in March, the competition was provisionally moved to June before the IFSC's latest announcement that it will - situation pending - take place from 1-8 October.

The event is one of many IFSC competitions that have been postponed until later dates due to the outbreak. The entire Boulder season, which runs from April to June, was postponed, as well as the first Lead events in July, which were due to take place in Villars (SUI), Chamonix (FRA) and Briançon (FRA). The decision deadline on the summer Lead events was 1 May, but the ongoing restrictions caused by the pandemic and an extension of the ban on public gatherings in France by French President Emmanuel Macron meant that the postponement could be made sooner.

In a press release, IFSC President Marco Scolaris said:

"I'm sure the IOC won't mind if I borrow their motto for a moment: hope lights our way! Despite the fact that we live on a day-by-day basis, it is important to keep working for the future, in order to be ready when better days will come. The new dates of the European Championships are definitely a sign of hope and no surrender."

Climbing Federation of Russia President Dmitry Bychkov said:

"We are all hoping for the best, and we are ready - with a successful combination of circumstances - to produce every effort and deliver the competition at the best possible level. All of us, organisers and fans, are willing to be finally able to see the best European athletes compete in Moscow."

The IFSC's action plan for the upcoming months amid the pandemic outlines the key dates for decision-making as follows: