London 2015 World Championships Bid Abandoned

A bid for London to host the 2015 world athletics championships was forsaken because of fears over a potential legal wrangle surrounding the future of the 2012 Olympic main stadium.

The decision leaves Beijing as the sole bidder and it is anticipated the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) will confirm the Chinese capital as host city when it meets later this month.

Britain's governing body for athletics, UK Athletics (UKA), said it intended to bid for the next championships in 2017.

London was awarded the world athletics championships in 2005 but did not stage the event after the government abandoned plans to construct a new stadium.

IAAF President Lamine Diack said in a statement issued by UKA: "We completely understand and respect the reasons for UKA moving their bid from 2015 to 2017. We are pleased that London are still in the race."