London misses out to Nairobi in World Athletics bid

What the report says

London has lost its bid to stage the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with Nairobi chosen instead and Munich confirmed as host of the 2031 edition. The decision was announced by World Athletics after a council meeting in Budapest, according to BBC Sport, and means the event will be held in Africa for the first time in its history.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the council had considered four strong bids across the 2029 and 2031 competitions. He said Nairobi had put forward a persuasive case and that awarding the championships to an African city would help the sport continue to grow across different regions. The BBC reported that the choice was described as historic because no African city has hosted the championships before.

London’s proposal centred on the London Stadium, the home of West Ham United. The venue previously hosted the 2012 Olympic Games, the London Diamond League and the 2017 World Athletics Championships, giving the UK capital experience with major track and field events. Rome also missed out on the 2029 contest, while Munich will host the championship for the first time in 2031.

The BBC added that Nairobi had previously bid for the 2025 championships but lost to Tokyo. Its case was strengthened by ongoing renovations at Kasarani Stadium ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. More broadly, the decision reflects World Athletics’ aim of rotating its flagship event across continents, including Asia, Africa and Europe in the coming years.