Following three passionate and technically high level presentations made by all three candidates, the Chinese city of Nanjing was awarded the IAAF World Indoor Championships 2020.
Delegations from the three candidate cities made their presentations to Council in the following order (after the drawing of lots) of Nanjing (CHN), Belgrade (SRB) and Torun (POL).
Athletes of the past and present played a central role in the presentations. They included China’s reigning world shot put champion Gong Lijiao, Serbia’s reigning European outdoor and indoor long jump gold medallist Ivana Spanovic and Poland’s 2002 European Indoor 400m champion Marek Plawgo.
Nanjing, a city of more than 8 million, staged the 2014 Olympic Youth Games and will build a stadium specifically for the world indoor championships in the Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park. It will offer a permanent legacy as an athletics training centre after the championships.
Sebastian Coe commented: “I look forward to celebrating the very best of world athletics in 2020 in Nanjing. The hosting of these championships will assist the development of an already established and growing culture of athletics in the country.”
“We were impressed with all the bids, particularly the involvement of athletes in the presentations and the plans for permanent athletics legacy at elite and community level which was central to all three visions for 2020. There can only be one winner in any race but I hope that Belgrade and Torun will return in future years to bid for other championships, as you each have so much to offer to the future of athletics.”
Mr. Hu Wanjin, Vice Mayor of Nanjing, a member of the bid presentation delegation, commented: “It is a great honor for the ancient and modern city Nanjing to win the right to host the IAAF World Indoor Championships 2020. In the following two and a half years, with the help and guidance of the Chinese Athletic Association, the whole city will spare no effort to deliver a wonderful sports festival.”
[Source: IAAF Press Release]
