IF YOU want an idea of the size of the challenge facing organisers of London 2017, the Olympic Stadium will stage a football season’s worth of athletics in a mere fiveweek spell next year. It is a prospect that is sure to keep the team on its toes as they approach what is sure to be a memorable summer of athletics.
“We’ve got 22 days of international athletics next summer,” says Ed Warner, the chair of UK Athletics and co-chair of London 2017. “We have 11 days of the IPC Athletics Championships and 10 of IAAF Championships plus one day of Diamond League. That’s a football season’s worth of sport.
“West Ham will play 22-25 games at home through a whole season from August until May. We’ve got that squashed into a much smaller period. And the turnaround time from Diamond League to IPC Championships is a few days and then two weeks before the IAAF Championships.”