POSTED: November 11th 2011
NewsUpdate
London wins vote for 2017 IAAF World Championships
LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications
TAMPA: Olympic host city London won the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) vote today 16-10 for the 2017 World Championships edging out Doha in the final hour. This marks the first time that England will host the elite athletics event.
The decision to award London the championships allows the 2012 Games city to further the athletics legacy at the Olympic Stadium.
The London team was led by IAAF vice-president and LOCOG chair, Seb Coe, together with Mayor Boris Johnson, Sports Minister Hugh Robertson MP, and UK Athletics chair Ed Warner.
Coe was thrilled at the news, “I am delighted and extremely proud that my colleagues on the IAAF Council have entrusted London with the 2017 World Athletics Championships. It will be such an honour to host our sport’s showcase event in the Olympic Stadium and realise a personal and professional dream.
“I would like to pay tribute to my friend and colleague Dahlan Al-Hamad and the Doha bid team who ran a strong campaign. They have continued to innovate and show a passionate love of sport and desire to bring new events and I am sure it won’t be long before they host the World Championships.”
Mayor Johnson was elated at the news and said in a statement: "Despite an excellent challenge from Doha, the London team put together a cracking bid which has paid off with this fantastic news today. With the 2017 championships now in the diary next summer’s London Games is just the start of a long and active life for our magnificent stadium.
“In addition to athletics it will host a variety of sports competitions including football as well as a range of other events from major concerts to community activities. I am absolutely thrilled for London."
Colin Moynihan, chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA) also expressed his excitement at the news and what it will mean for Team GB.
He said in a statement: "The successful bid to bring the 2017 IAAF World Championships to London is a cornerstone in delivering on the promise of a meaningful sports legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
It has been our view all along that the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games should serve as a catalyst for the beginning of a new era of sport in the United Kingdom, with expanded opportunities for participation at every level of sport. It is by hosting events such as the 2017 IAAF World Championships, that legacy will be brought to life.
The 2017 IAAF World Championships could well become a springboard for a significant expansion in athletics programmes for young people at the intra-school, inter-school and club levels throughout the UK.
We extend our congratulations to our colleagues at UK Athletics for their vision, commitment and success with the bid; to the Council Members of the International Association of Athletics Federations for their selection of the 2017 Host City and the manner by which the bid process was managed; and to our friends in Doha for the excellent quality of the bid they brought forward."
The decision for London will also reinforce Coe’s candidature for IAAF presidency. Lamine Diack was re-elected this summer for another term but Coe is widely seen as a strong contender for the position next time around.
On the other hand Doha put forth an extremely strong financial bid as they proposed to spend an astounding $236.2 million on the event, including $7.2 million prize money, a $29 million television sponsorship, and $80 million to stage it. London too at the last minute offered to cover the $7.2 million prize budget but wasn’t able to match the investment that Doha put on the table.
Doha has to deal with the issue of the elevated temperatures in the Middle East however they are developing cooling technology for the stadia that was also part of their winning FIFA World Cup 2020 bid.
Also Doha is currently in the race for the 2020 summer Olympics running against Baku, Istanbul, Madrid, Rome and Tokyo.
The team posted a congratulations notice for London on their Facebook page and thanks for the support. They'll be back for more bids and that you can count on.
Keywords · IAAF · London 2012 · Doha · athletics · Boris Johnson · Seb Coe · Colin Moynihan
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Laura Walden ()
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