The World Athletics Council said Cali's hosting of a successful World U18 Championships in 2015 was a factor in selecting the city, with the governing body saying the Championships saw Cali "demonstrate its capacity to host a world-class athletics event."

Around 1200 athletes from 143 countries competed in 2015 at the Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero, with stars including pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, hurdler and sprinter Sydney McLaughlin and decathlete Niklas Kaul among those making their first major international appearance at the event.

"Our World U20 Championships are vibrant and youthful, so it’s entirely fitting that they should be held in a vibrant and youthful city," said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.

"Cali now has substantial experience hosting major events and I’m sure it will produce a Championships with a typical Latin flavour. 

"Athletics in South America has a proud history going back more than a century and has produced some of the great stars of our sport, including the 2018 World Female Athlete of the Year Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia. 

"I would hope that hosting the World U20 Championships will inspire a generation of young Colombians and South Americans to follow in her footsteps."

Cali played host to the 2005 South American Championships and 2007 Central American and Caribbean Championships, and is scheduled to host the multi-sport Junior Pan American Games in June 2021.

"Cali is excited to have the opportunity to welcome the world’s best young athletes to Colombia in 2022 as the host of the World U20 Championships," said President of the Colombian Athletics Federation Ramiro Valera Marmojelo.

"We will put all our efforts into delivering a successful and memorable Championships and building a great cultural, educational and sports legacy for the youth of the world."

The 2020 World Athletics U20 Championships were due to take place in Nairobi in July, but have been postponed to August 17 to 22 2021, because of the coronavirus pandemic.