Recent scandals that have tarnished athletics will not overshadow the 2017 World Championships in London, the head of the event's organising committee vowed yesterday
Niels de Vos
London: Recent scandals that have tarnished athletics will not overshadow the 2017 World Championships in London, the head of the event's organising committee vowed yesterday.
Niels de Vos
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Athletics is still reeling from the two WADA reports that resulted in Russian athletes being banned over state-sponsored doping. But Niels de Vos, London 2017 director and CEO of UK Athletics, said, "It's about looking outwards, not looking inwards.
"There's still huge appetite to watch athletics in the UK and there always has been. I'm as confident as you can be, without ignoring the realities of life, that London 2017 will have exactly the same level of success (as the London 2012 Olympics).
And the reason is, people are interested in athletics. People aren't interested in governing bodies. We are, because we work for them, or you (the media) are, because you write about them. But the public aren't. It's emotion, it's passion. That's why people want to come and see it, because – excuse my language – it's bloody amazing. It's an amazing sport to watch live."