SportAccord confirmed the Summit, attended by a host of officials in the Olympic Movement, would be held at the SwissTech Convention Center on the initial dates of April 19 to 24.

Lausanne being confirmed as the replacement host for Beijing came exactly a week after organisers announced the Summit would not take place in the Chinese capital amid the outbreak of the virus, given the official title of COVID-19 by the World Health Organization.

This year's six-day gathering of the sporting world will be the third in the last four years to be staged in the Olympic capital, which also hosted the event - then called SportAccord Convention - in 2016.

"We are delighted that Lausanne will be hosting SportAccord once again," said SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli.

"As a major event in the international sporting calendar, Lausanne provides a favourable location for sport and business leaders to meet, given its strong commitment to sport and industry.

"When SportAccord was last in the Olympic Capital and the home of international sport in 2016, visitors and delegates were welcomed with open arms and we are already feeling his again.

"We look forward to delivering another successful SportAccord in this dynamic city and within this short period of time."

The decision to move the event from China was inevitable given concerns over the coronavirus, which has killed at least 2,126 people - all but 10 in the country where it originated - and infected over 75,600 worldwide.

The outbreak has had a significant impact on sport and has led to numerous events being cancelled, postponed and relocated outside of China.

Tokyo 2020 and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have insisted this year's Olympic Games will go ahead as planned, despite the virus.

The switch to Lausanne means the city will also host the General Assemblies of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations and Global Association of International Sports Federations, which traditionally take place during the summit.

In a statement, SportAccord said partners, exhibitors and delegates who had registered to attend the event in Beijing would be contacted shortly.

Pre-registration is set to open on Monday (February 24).

"As the Olympic Capital, Lausanne is proud to be hosting the 2020 SportAccord and looks forward to supporting organisers in making this major event successful," Lausanne Mayor Grégoire Junod added.

"Once again, it is with great pleasure that we open our doors to the international sports family."

Lausanne, which also hosted SportAccord in 2004, is home to numerous sports organisations, including the IOC.