IAAF Select London as 2017 Venue

The World Athletics Championships will be held in the United Kingdom for the first time after London was selected ahead of Doha to host the 2017 event.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) chose England's capital at a Monaco meeting.

London, which failed with bids to host the 2001 and 2015 Worlds, will use the 2012 Olympic Stadium.

Bid leader Sebastian Coe said: "This bid has been developed by athletes and athletics, for athletes and athletics."

He added: "We believe 2017 will cement the clear, unambiguous vision we offered the world in 2005 [when London was awarded the 2012 Olympics], a vision that promised a real legacy through unprecedented levels of investment in our new national stadium.

"This is the natural continuation of the work being done on 2012."

UK Athletics boss and bid chairman Ed Warner revealed that the budget for the championships would now cover the £5m prize fund as Doha offered to do.

World youth champion sprinter Jodie Williams, 18, and Olympic heptathlon gold medallist Denise Lewis made the final presentations to the IAAF.

Williams, who will be 23 in 2017, stressed her "ultimate dream" is to compete for a senior world title in front of a home crowd.

A message of support from Prime Minister David Cameron was also played to the council.

London had been set to host the 2005 championships after they were originally awarded to the city.

However, after plans to build a 43,000-capacity stadium at Picketts Lock in the north of the city were abandoned as too expensive. A UK Athletics suggestion that the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield be used instead was rejected by the IAAF.

The championships were awarded to Helsinki, which hosted the first event in 1983.

Coe Focused on 2017 Championships

Lord Coe believes both London and Doha are focusing on their battle for the 2017 World Championships despite reports one of them may be awarded the 2019 event.

An announcement on 2017 will be made on Friday and Lord Coe said there had been "no formal discussions" around 2019.

Discussing a possible double decision, he said: "I wouldn't rubbish it.

"When you are at this stage of a bidding process the speculation and gossip changes all the time."

But the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) vice-president added: "It was not raised in the council and there has not been any formal conversation with any bid teams.

"We have just drawn lots and been told the order of presentations on Friday so we should assume this is the process we are locked into."

London and Doha are going head-to-head for the 2017 event. But some reports have claimed the IAAF may announce successive hosts for the first time with London getting 2017 and Doha 2019.

However Doha officials are also understood to much prefer 2017 as they would be concerned that having a 2019 championships could conflict with their bid for the 2020 Olympics.

Coe said: "The very firm instinct for both bids is that it is 2017 we are bidding for and, in London's terms, 2017 is what we are able to deliver on and that's our focus."

The London 2012 chairman would not be drawn on London's chances, saying the campaigning had to go on to the last minute.

He added: "I can tell you our case is being heard very sympathetically. These are my colleagues - it is not selling a second-hand car to someone you have never met.

"These are friends and colleagues, people I have known for 30 years, and they know the strength of our case."

Earlier on Wednesday, UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner had said: "From London's perspective we are in no position to accept 2019 if we were offered it.

"We have a coalition of funding partners and it would take many months, perhaps stretching beyond a year, to get an answer and we could not guarantee to the IAAF we would accept.

"We are in Monaco for the 2017 pitch and we sincerely hope we win it."

UK Sport, the government, the London mayor and UK Athletics have all agreed to contribute to the funding.