Athletes urge PM to back London 2029 World Championships bid

More than 100 of Britain's astir renowned athletes person written an unfastened missive to Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging nan authorities to backmost London's bid to big nan 2029 World Athletics Championships.

Sir Mo Farah, Keely Hodgkinson, Dame Kelly Holmes, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Daley Thompson are among nan athletes, past and present, to motion nan letter.

The bid proposal, if successful, would spot nan World Championships held astatine London Stadium, and require a "one-off injection of nationalist backing successful 2028" pinch nan committedness of "£400m successful nationalist economical impact".

"Hosting successful 2029 would bring nan world's champion athletes backmost to British ungraded but much importantly, it would animate a caller procreation to get progressive successful nan astir divers and inclusive athletics location is," nan missive read.

"Some of america were fortunate capable to acquisition a location crowd astatine London 2012 and 2017. Some of america volunteered, others were successful nan stands. All of america were inspired.

"That spark group galore of america connected our journeys, conscionable arsenic it did for truthful galore thousands of different young group who've gone connected to subordinate clubs, coach, officiate, aliases simply autumn successful emotion pinch athletics."

The 2029 bid process is owed to statesman this summer, pinch organisers urging ministers to perpetrate to securing nan World Championships for nan UK successful nan coming weeks.

London besides hosted nan Championships erstwhile they were past held successful nan UK successful 2017.