UK Sports Minister: London 2017 World Athletics Championship Bid Chances are “More than 50-50”

August 19, 2011

Despite an ongoing legal dispute over the future of London’s Olympic Stadium. UK Sports Minister Hugh Robertson has insisted that London can lodge a successful bid to host the 2017 World Athletics Championships.

English Premier League soccer club Tottenham Hotspur is taking legal action in an effort to launch a judicial review of the decision to award the Olympic Stadium to rival London club West Ham United after the 2012 Games.

The doubts for the 2017 World Championships remain because whilst West Ham has pledged to retain a running track around the pitch at the stadium, Tottenham plan to remove the track as part of a wider redevelopment of the site, meaning the stadium would not be used for athletics after the 2012 Games has concluded.

Robertson said:”I have become increasingly confident that we can make a bid – I would say the chances are more than 50-50.

“The Government guarantees are done. There seems to be a desire among those in international athletics to see the championships come to London. I have to be able to look at the IAAF in the eye and give them certainty that we can deliver the stadium. We are working very hard on dealing with the legal issues – the best thing of course would be for Tottenham to withdraw their judicial review bid, and I believe this can be resolved.”