London LOSES bid to host 2029 World Athletics Championships with Nairobi chosen in another major snub to Europe

LONDON will not host the World Athletics Championships in 2029 – after being snubbed for the Kenyan capital. Members of the World Athletics Council have announced that Africa will stage the sport’s flagship event for the first time. London has lost a bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championship Credit: Getty The news is a huge blow for British superstars including Keely Hodgkinson, Josh Kerr and Amy Hunt Credit: Getty The UK capital may have submitted a “compelling proposition” but they were overlooked for Nairobi in three year’s time. The 2031 edition has been awarded to Munich, the first time it will have been held in Europe in eight years. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! London’s bid had been supported by the UK Government to the tune of £35million, with claims it would “boost the UK economy” and “further strengthen the country’s outstanding reputation for hosting the biggest and best events”. The event was staged in East London in 2017 and was considered a huge success with sell-out crowds. And 59,000 fans attended the London Diamond League meeting on Saturday July 18 – the world’s biggest one-day athletics meet. Rome was the other city to miss out having been involved in the formal bidding process. This news is a huge blow for British athletes such as reigning Olympic 800 metres champion Keely Hodgkinson, sprinter Amy Hunt and middle distance stars Georgia Hunter Bell and Josh Kerr, who would have wanted to compete on home soil. The decision was made public on Tuesday morning by President Seb Coe via an online press conference following the conclusion of the two-day 242nd Council Meeting. Most read in Sport CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Seb Coe announced the decision Credit: Shutterstock Editorial This was held in Budapest, days after the new three-day World Athletics Ultimate Championship was held there. Coe, the two-time Olympic 1500 metres champion, said: “We evaluated four outstanding bids. This has not been an easy decision. “The Council, Executive Board and our HQ leadership team have deliberated long and hard over the decision – there were four compelling propositions. “It is my great pleasure to announce that the 2029 World Athletics Championships have been awarded to the city of Nairobi in Kenya. “The 2031 Championships have been awarded to Munich, Germany. “Nairobi and Munich offer very different but equally exciting opportunities for our sport. “We, of course, look forward to working with both cities to host two groundbreaking Championships. “Athletics is a global sport and we are determined to connect athletics with the audiences worldwide, making it accessible to everyone, wherever they live. “This Council decision today means we are able to deliver our World Athletics Championships in Asia, Africa and Europe over its next three editions. “Taking our Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic. Nairobi has presented a compelling and emotional bid. “This is a fast-growing and dynamic metropolis that suits as the economic, cultural and political hub of East Africa. “The city has steadily built its credentials from the World Under-18s Championships in 2017 to the World Under-20 Championships in 2021. “Having also been part of the bidding process for 2025, the team understood and grasped what was required and came back with a stronger proposition and a renovated stadium, which is currently undergoing a complete overhaul. “Athletics is interwoven into the fabric of Kenya. The level of fan engagement in Kenya is extraordinary. Athletics is the second most followed sport in Kenya. “It was important that the World Championship should come to Africa when we had the right host, the right bid and the right circumstances. “Nairobi has demonstrated empathically that this is their moment to super-charge the moment of our sport in Kenya and across Africa, leaving a compelling legacy that inspires a continent.” Comment now