The Russian authorities were coming under increasing pressure over sparse attendances at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow, which have been marked by banks of empty seats and a sometimes hollow atmosphere. <img alt="Mo Farah" src="http://images.mid-day.com/2013/aug/Mo-Farah_1.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 316px;" /> Mo Farah celebrates winning gold in the Men&rsquo;s 10000 metres final against the backdrop of empty stands at the Luzhniki Stadium. Pic/AFP Top athletes including Britain&rsquo;s 10,000m champion Mo Farah and US hurdler Aries Merritt have expressed disappointment over the turnout at the vast 84,745-capacity Luzhniki stadium, which hosted the boycott-stained 1980 Moscow Olympics. Morning sessions for qualifying events have taken place in an almost empty stadium while there were rows of seats spare even to see Usain Bolt&rsquo;s victory in the blue riband men&rsquo;s 100m on Sunday night. Russia&rsquo;s hosting of the championships is seen as a litmus test for its ability to organise a string of sporting events that President Vladimir Putin has won for the country in the next years, including the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2018 football World Cup. Tatyana Lebedeva, a former Olympic women&rsquo;s long jump champion and now vice-president of the Russian Athletics Federation, admitted there were teething problems but begged for patience as Russia was on a steep learning curve. &ldquo;Yes the stands are absolutely not full. Yes, tickets are being given away for free. And in the end the organisers are not getting by without mistakes,&rdquo; she wrote in the Sovietsky Sport daily. &ldquo;But let&rsquo;s be a bit indulgent. We just do not have experience of holding major athletics events. There are lots of things we do not know. We are learning and learning with pleasure.&rdquo;

While track & field superstars descended on Moscow for World Championships, fans have given the showpiece event a miss

Where are the crowds in Moscow?

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast

Home / Sports / Other Sports / Article / Where are the crowds in Moscow?

Where are the crowds in Moscow?

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast