London successful in 2017 bid

Lord Sebastian Coe

Published: 4:51pm, 11th November 2011
Updated: 6:38am, 12th November 2011

London has been awarded the right to host the 2017 World Championships after beating off competition from the Qatari capital of Doha.

The council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) voted in favour of London following final presentations from both cities in Monaco.

IAAF vice-president and London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe led London's presentation and the decision fulfils his 2005 promise that the Olympic Stadium would have an enduring athletics legacy.

London's presentation also featured contributions from Sports and Olympics minister Hugh Robertson, London mayor Boris Johnson, former Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis and world junior champion Jodie Williams.

Williams, 18, could be at her peak in 2017 and revealed her "ultimate dream" is to compete for a senior world title on home soil.

The news comes as a major relief to UK Athletics officials after previous bids to stage the championships ended in failure.

A bid for the 2001 World Championships had to be abandoned after initial plans for an athletics track to be included in the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium were scrapped.

London was then awarded the 2005 Championships after Prime Minister Tony Blair promised a new stadium at Picketts Lock in north London would be built to host them.

But they were taken away after the Government went back on its promise and were given to Helsinki instead, while the 2011 bid was withdrawn due to uncertainty surrounding the future of the Olympic Stadium.