Despite continued disputes from Tottenham Hotspur, London's bid for the 2017 World Championships remains promising. UKinArgentina photos
It has been confirmed that UK Athletics will bid to host the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships in London. With the Olympics village already in anticipation for the London 2012 games, the bid would further benefit the capital financially in the years following the costly Olympics.
Hugh Robertson, the minister for sport, said in an official statement via the IAAF that as host for the Championships it would be a “wonderful legacy from London 2012”.
Lord Sebastian Coe, London 2012 chairman, believes that the ability of the 2017 Championships to increase popularity in track and field athletics had a big influence on the decision to go ahead with the bid. Coe, as well as the Mayor of London, has put his full support behind the bid effort.
Controversy in the use of the Olympics stadium in the aftermath of the Olympics has once again arisen. While it is almost certain that West Ham will inherit the stadium following the games, Tottenham Hotspur still dispute the decision, despite their public development plans of ridding the stadium of its running track.
So far, Doha in Qatar and an unnamed Spanish city have also been rumoured to be bidding to be event hosts for 2017.
Grace Newton
