Doha wins right to host 2019 IAAF world track & field championships...
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| The Doha bid team celebrates the announcement (photo courtesy IAAF) |
MONTE CARLO, Monaco--By a count of 15-12 over Eugene, Oregon, the 27 members of the IAAF council voted to award the 2019 world track & field championships to Doha, Qatar Tuesday.
The Qatari capital proposed hosting the world championships from September 28th to October 6th, with the marathon races contested in the evening.
From a television standpoint, the proposed dates conflicts with the start of the major European soccer league (German Bundesliga, EPL, La Liga) seasons, as well as the National Football League and college football in the United States.
For elite marathoners, those athletes will have to decide between running for their country at the world championships or chasing paydays during the fall marathon season with World Marathon Majors races in Berlin, Chicago, and New York.
In the first round of voting (14 votes needed), Barcelona was eliminated with 6 votes, with Doha leading with 12, and Eugene 9.
In a release from the IAAF, president Lamine Diack said, "I am sure that in Doha we will have a wonderful edition of the World Championships."
"It's a privilege and honor to have the trust of the IAAF," said Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the leader of the Doha bid.
"I am very delighted that these Championships are going to be for the first time in the region. I'm confident that with the help of the IAAF we will organize one of the best World Championships," he added.
"The United States congratulates Doha on securing the 2019 IAAF World Championships. We look forward to Team USA competing in Doha against the best athletes in the world. We thank President Diack, IAAF Council and IAAF bid evaluation commission for considering our bid and for the tremendous collaboration the IAAF showed throughout this process," said USA Track & Field CEO Max Siegel in a release.
Had Eugene won the bid, it would have been the smallest city to host the IAAF's marquee event.
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