The Hong Kong ASTC Sprint Triathlon Asian Cup and the Asian Aquathlon Championships have been cancelled amid safety concerns relating to the anti-government protests. The athletes were informed on Tuesday, before Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced the withdrawal of the controversial extradition bill on Wednesday.

The Asian Cup and championships were supposed to take place on October 12 and 13. The sport’s local governing body, TriHK, confirmed the cancellations, but said the competitions would resume next year.

The city has been rocked by 13 weeks of increasingly violent protests. What started as opposition to the extradition bill, which would have seen fugitives extradited to a number of countries, including mainland China, spiralled into anti-government protests. It remains to be seen if Lam’s formal withdrawal of the bill will defuse the situation.

“Due to escalated and widespread civil unrest in the city since more than two months ago, we regret to inform you that the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Triathlon Association has decided to cancel the 2019 Hong Kong ASTC Sprint Triathlon Asian Cup and the Asian Aquathlon Championships,” the organisers said via email and on social media.