Athletes urge PM to back London 2029 World Championships bid

More than 100 of Britain's most renowned athletes have written an open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging the government to back London's bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.

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

The bid proposal, if successful, would see the World Championships held at London Stadium, and require a "one-off injection of public funding in 2028" with the promise of "£400m in national economic impact".

"Hosting in 2029 would bring the world's best athletes back to British soil but more importantly, it would inspire a new generation to get involved in the most diverse and inclusive sport there is," the letter read.

"Some of us were lucky enough to experience a home crowd at London 2012 and 2017. Some of us volunteered, others were in the stands. All of us were inspired.

"That spark set many of us on our journeys, just as it did for so many thousands of other young people who've gone on to join clubs, coach, officiate, or simply fall in love with athletics."

The 2029 bid process is due to begin this summer, with organisers urging ministers to commit to securing the World Championships for the UK in the coming weeks.

London also hosted the Championships when they were last held in the UK in 2017.