Olympic stadium could host World Athletics, says Coe

2012 Olympic Stadium on 23 November, 2009

The 2012 Olympic Stadium continues to takes shape in east London

Lord Coe has hinted that UK Athletics may use London's 2012 Olympic stadium as its centre-piece for a bid to host the 2015 world athletics championships.

The venue is one of four vying to stage a match in London should England's 2018 football World Cup bid be successful.

Even if the arena is used for football, Coe has always insisted that it will remain the home for British Athletics.

"It's not inconceivable that UK Athletics might look at 2015 and think it's an opportunity," he said

Daegu in South Korea and Moscow are hosting the 2011 and 2013 championships respectively, while Beijing has expressed an interest in hosting in 2015.

Coe, who is chairman of the London Organising Committee, added: "We have talked about the decade of sport (in Britain) and there is an athletics world championships up for grabs.

THE UK GOLDEN DECADE OF SPORT

2010: Ryder Cup, Celtic Manor

2011: Champions League final, Wembley

2012: Olympic Games, London

2013: Rugby League World Cup

2014: Ryder Cup, Gleneagles; Commonwealth Games, Glasgow

2015: Rugby World Cup

2019: Cricket World Cup

ADDITIONAL BID

2018 Football World Cup

"England are also hosting the Rugby Union World Cup in 2015 and there is the potential for a football World Cup in 2018.

"These are all things the Olympic Park Legacy Company will be factoring in."

If England is chosen to host the 2018 football World Cup, plans to reduce the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium to a capacity of 25,000 after the Games, would have to be scrapped.

However, Coe reiterated that while the Olympic Park Legacy Company would have the final say, the stadium would always have a running track.

"There is no lack of clarity," he said. "This is a stadium that has been designed for the primary purpose of track and field but not uniquely.

"The flexibility is there and it's for the Olympic Park Legacy Company to decide effectively what the business case is for leaving it at any size.

"But what we do know is the commitment to leave a track and field facility within that stadium is rock solid, no one is moving a millimetre off that."