Latest news with #UKSport
New York Times
19-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
UK Government announces support for bid to host 2029 World Athletics and Para Athletics Championships
The UK Government confirmed on Saturday that they will 'provide significant funding' and be 'backing a bid' to host the 2029 World Athletics and Para Athletics Championships. First staged in 1983 and held biennially since 1993, the championships were last held in London in 2017 — five years after the Olympics and Paralympics came to the capital. This year's edition will be held in Tokyo, Japan, starting in just under two months. Advertisement The announcement, which is 'subject to funding from partners being confirmed,' comes on the day of the London Diamond League meet, the biggest one-day athletics meet, with the 60,000 capacity stadium sold out. They will work with Athletic Ventures, who are the bidder, UK Sport plus the Greater London Authority. The bidding process opened (for the 2029 and 2031 World Championships) late last month, and pre-qualification forms must be submitted before October 1 this year. In a press release Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it 'would be a moment of great national pride, building on our global reputation for hosting memorable sporting events.' He repeated the 'inspire the next generation' phrase which had been a tagline of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, and said hosting 'would provide a boost for UK businesses and support jobs.' The bid includes a plan to host the Para Athletics World Championships in the same year, though a host city is undecided for that, and would be outside of London. Various British athletes had taken to social media in recent weeks to try and drive support for a Government-backed bid, which would require £35m. 'After superb medal hauls over the last few years on the World, Olympic and Paralympic stage, athletics in the UK is on an upward trajectory, with new partners, record participation and sold-out stadia,' said Jack Buckner, the CEO of UK Athletics, in a press release. 'This support will drive the sport on to new heights.' The 2024 Olympics in Paris were Great Britain's best in terms at a Games for total medals (10) since 1984 (16) and there were eight British records set. They outperformed even internal expectations and were the only nation to take a medal in all five relays: bronze in the men's 4x100m, the women's, mixed and men's 4x400m, and a silver in the women's 4x100m. A successful bid would build on next year's Commonwealth Games and European Athletics Championships, which will be hosted in Glasgow and Birmingham in the summer. (Benjamin Cremel/AFP via Getty Images)
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Government backs London 2029 World Champs bid
The UK government has confirmed its support for London's bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships. If successful, the event would return to London Stadium, which last hosted the event in 2017. Ministers are also backing a UK bid for the World Para Athletics Championships in 2029, saying they are "committed to taking [it] beyond the capital with a host city to be confirmed in due course". In a statement the government said that "subject to funding from partners being confirmed, [it] has agreed to provide significant funding for both bids". The news is a major boost to the sport, with London Stadium hosting a sold-out Diamond League meeting in front of 60,000 spectators on Saturday. Kerr targets British record at star-studded London Diamond League In June more than 100 of Britain's most renowned athletes wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urging the government to back London's bid to host the World Athletics Championships. It came after concerns that a bid could be at risk, with uncertainty over the estimated £45m that government was being asked for amid spending cuts, despite claims that the event would deliver £400m of economic impact. The championships were not referenced when ministers unveiled half a billion pounds of investment into sporting events in a spending review last month. However, talks have been taking place with UK Athletics and UK Sport, and Starmer said he is "delighted to support the bid". "Bringing the World Athletics Championships to the UK would be a moment of great national pride, building on our global reputation for hosting memorable sporting events that showcase the very best talent," he said. "Hosting these championships would not only unlock opportunities for UK athletes, but it would inspire the next generation to get involved and pursue their ambitions. "The event would provide a boost for UK businesses and support jobs as well as bring our communities together." Jack Buckner, CEO of UK Athletics, said: "After superb medal hauls over the last few years on the world, Olympic and Paralympic stage, athletics in the UK is on an upward trajectory, with new partners, record participation and sold-out stadia. This support will drive the sport on to new heights." Josh Kerr, 1500m world champion and double Olympic medallist, said: "London 2017 was my first senior World Championships and it lit a fire in me. "Being part of a home team in that kind of atmosphere was incredible - it made me hungrier than ever to become a world champion and chase Olympic medals. "Having the government support to bid for 2029 and potentially bring that experience back to London would be massive. "It would inspire so many young athletes and give the sport the platform it deserves. "I'm proud to support the bid and hope we get the chance to show the world what we can do on home soil." UK plans bid to host 2029 World Championships
BBC News
19-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Government backs London 2029 World Champs bid
The UK government has confirmed its support for London's bid to host the 2029 World Athletics successful, the event would return to London Stadium, which last hosted the event in are also backing a UK bid for the World Para Athletics Championships in 2029, saying they are "committed to taking [it] beyond the capital with a host city to be confirmed in due course".In a statement the government said that "subject to funding from partners being confirmed, [it] has agreed to provide significant funding for both bids".The news is a major boost to the sport, with London Stadium hosting a sold-out Diamond League meeting in front of 60,000 spectators on Saturday. In June more than 100 of Britain's most renowned athletes wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urging the government to back London's bid to host the World Athletics came after concerns that a bid could be at risk, with uncertainty over the estimated £45m that government was being asked for amid spending cuts, despite claims that the event would deliver £400m of economic championships were not referenced when ministers unveiled half a billion pounds of investment into sporting events in a spending review last month. However, talks have been taking place with UK Athletics and UK Sport, and Starmer said he is "delighted to support the bid"."Bringing the World Athletics Championships to the UK would be a moment of great national pride, building on our global reputation for hosting memorable sporting events that showcase the very best talent", he said."Hosting these championships would not only unlock opportunities for UK athletes but it would inspire the next generation to get involved and pursue their ambitions."The event would provide a boost for UK businesses and support jobs as well as bring our communities together."Jack Buckner, CEO of UK Athletics, said: "After superb medal hauls over the last few years on the world, Olympic and Paralympic stage, athletics in the UK is on an upward trajectory, with new partners, record participation and sold-out stadia. This support will drive the sport on to new heights."Josh Kerr, 1500m world champion and double Olympic medallist, said: "London 2017 was my first senior World Championships and it lit a fire in me."Being part of a home team in that kind of atmosphere was incredible - it made me hungrier than ever to become a world champion and chase Olympic medals."Having the government support to bid for 2029 and potentially bring that experience back to London would be massive."It would inspire so many young athletes and give the sport the platform it deserves."I'm proud to support the bid and hope we get the chance to show the world what we can do on home soil."
The Guardian
19-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Starmer backs bid to bring 2029 World Athletics Championships to London
London is in prime position to stage the 2029 World Athletics Championships after finally securing a substantial government funding commitment for the bid. It is understood that the UK government has agreed to give £35m to help bid for the Championships, which would be the first to be staged in London since 2017, with the mayor's office expected to commit around £10m. It comes after months of lobbying from UK Athletics and UK Sport, with both organisations stressing that hosting the Championships would inspire the next generation of athletes like Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson and also bring substantial benefits to the economy. The news was confirmed by the prime minister, Keir Starmer, on the day that London will stage a Diamond League meeting watched by 60,000 people. 'Bringing the World Athletics Championships to the UK would be a moment of great national pride, building on our global reputation for hosting memorable sporting events that showcase the very best talent,' he said. 'Hosting these championships would not only unlock opportunities for UK athletes but it would inspire the next generation to get involved and pursue their ambitions. The event would provide a boost for UK businesses and support jobs as well as bring our communities together. I'm delighted to support the bid.' The London Stadium is the proposed venue for the 2029 Championships, while the government says it is committed to taking the World Paras beyond the capital, with a host city to be confirmed in due course. The news was also welcomed by Josh Kerr, the 1500m world champion and double Olympic medallist. 'London 2017 was my first senior World Championships, and it lit a fire in me,' he said. 'Being part of a home team in that kind of atmosphere was incredible – it made me hungrier than ever to become a world champion and chase Olympic medals.' Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion The success of the 2012 Olympics and 2017 World Championships means that London is seen as the leading candidate for 2029. A decision will be taken next September.
Evening Standard
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Evening Standard
Stormzy awarded honorary degree by Cambridge for work supporting black students
Lady Arden of Heswall, a former justice of the UK Supreme Court, was honoured with a Doctorate in Law while Olympic gold medallist Dame Katherine Grainger, the current chairwoman of UK Sport and incoming chairwoman of the British Olympic Association was also awarded a Doctorate in Law.
