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World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has dismissed concerns that low attendance at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham could negatively impact London’s campaign to host the 2029 World Championships. The event at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium, which holds 23,000 spectators, drew modest crowds during its opening days, with some sessions attracting fewer than 13,000 attendees.
Coe attributed the attendance challenges to various circumstances, including the event’s Monday start date, summer weather conditions, and limited stadium coverage. He noted that London’s track record of hosting major athletics events, including a sold-out Diamond League fixture earlier this year, demonstrates the city’s capacity to draw crowds. The British capital is competing against Rome, Nairobi, and Munich for the hosting rights, with the World Athletics Council set to announce the decision on September 15.
London’s bid has received a recent boost following an agreement with West Ham regarding the use of London Stadium. The decision process involves presentations from bidding cities, followed by an evaluation panel’s recommendation to the council, which maintains final authority over the selection.
The 2029 championships will carry added significance as the final occasion for awarding marathon world gold medals before the discipline becomes an independent championship from 2031. London is also staging a standalone marathon event in 2027, which received unprecedented interest with over 1.3 million applications for 100,000 available places.
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Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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