London has submitted its bid for the 2029 World Athletics Championships after reaching an agreement with West Ham to allow it to host the event in September.
World Athletics is yet to announce the other candidate cities, but Rome, Munich and Nairobi have also submitted applications for 2029.
West Ham had threatened to thwart London’s bid, arguing they had priority for the stadium during the football season. However, the impasse has been broken after lengthy discussions with the London mayor’s office, Athletics Ventures, the joint organisation responsible for putting on major events, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
If London is successful, West Ham will play no more than two consecutive away games in the Premier League or three in the EFL in the 2029-30 season.
Jack Buckner, the CEO of UK Athletics and co-founder of Athletics Ventures, said he welcomed the deal with West Ham. “Bidding to hold the World Athletics Championships in the London Stadium, the showpiece of London 2012, was always at the centre of the UK’s Olympic legacy plans,” he said.
“We’re delighted that we have reached agreement with the London Stadium and West Ham United for the use of the London Stadium and our sincere thanks for their commitment in making this happen.”
Hugh Brasher, the CEO of London Marathon Events and co-founder of Athletics Ventures, said: “Our bid is not just about what happens within the London Stadium. Sport has the power to bring communities together, to change lives and to inspire the next generation. The 2029 World Athletics Championships in London would drive more than £400m in economic and social benefit in the capital and nationwide.”
A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, also welcomed the news: “London is the sporting capital of the world and the mayor believes that hosting the World Athletics Championships at the London Stadium in 2029 would build on the city’s long history of hosting the most prestigious sporting events.”
World Athletics is scheduled to announce the host city after the Ultimate Championships in Budapest in September.
