IT IS ALMOST six years to the day since London won the right to stage the IAAF World Championships in 2017. Back then, on November 11, 2011, a British bid team led by Sebastian Coe defeated Doha during a vote in Monaco. At the time, the London Olympics and Paralympics were imminent, but the nation also captured the honour of hosting the sport’s global track and field championships in the summer of 2017.
Doha was the strong favourite, but the Qatari capital was let down by its infamously scorching temperatures, while the Middle East country’s petro-dollars were no match for British athletics’ tried-and-trusted organisational abilities and its promise of passionate, knowledgeable fans.
In 2011 a London bid team that included (below, l to r) Boris Johnson, Niels de Vos, Denise Lewis, Seb Coe, Jodie Williams, Ed Warner and Hugh Robertson beat Doha to win the right to stage the 2017 World Championships
PICTURES: MARK SHEARMAN
Coe was joined by Ed Warner and Niels de Vos of UK Athletics, Olympic champion Denise Lewis and sprints talent Jodie Williams as the bidding battle reached its climax in Monaco. Sports minister Hugh Robertson and London Mayor Boris Johnson added political weight to the proceedings by supporting the bid team in the principality. This included Robertson telling IAAF officials that Britain had invested £9.3 billion in sport via London 2012 – a figure which dwarfed even the Qatari bid’s millions – and everyone’s effort ultimately paid off as London beat Doha by 16 votes to 10.
“For London and for Great Britain, there is no better way to follow the Olympics, and to build on its legacy, than by welcoming the world’s greatest athletes back to London for the 2017 World Championships,” said the then Prime Minister David Cameron, who sent handwritten letters to IAAF Council members.
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About Athletics Weekly
SPOTLIGHT
14 LONDON 2017
AW gets a sneak peek at
preparations for next year’s World
Championships – 13-page update
28 FAITH KIPYEGON
Steven Mills profiles the Olympic
1500m champion
ACTION
40 CROSS CHALLENGE
Andy Vernon and Pippa Woolven
take senior victories at Milton
Keynes in series opener
46 MASTERS
INTERNATIONAL
Claire Martin inspires England
veterans to victory in the five-way
home nations tie
PERFORMANCE
34 Sports science news
36 ‘Keep it simple’, urges Ross Murray
38 Products – the best sports gloves
TALKING POINT
30 Mike Dagg-Jenden lays out the case
for the best GB athletes of all time
NEWS
6 Tributes pour in for AFD girls
8 Chris Thompson has new focus
RESULTS
50 Results round-up
REGULARS
32 Young Athlete
61 Quiz – test your knowledge
62 Dip Finish