By Tom Degun

ed warner_09-02-12February 9 - UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner (pictured) has been appointed as head of the Organising Committee for the 2017 International Association of Athletics Federations Championships (IAAF) World Championshps in London by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Mayor of London's office.


Warner, alongside London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe (pictured below), played a major role in helping the city secure the World Championships when the Britain held off Doha in Qatar by 16 votes to 10 at the IAAF Council meeting in Monte Carlo last November.

He will now submit a proposed corporate structure and governance framework to the IAAF for approval and will work with both the Sports Minister Hugh Robertson and London Mayor Boris Johnson to appoint the remainder of the board.

"I am absolutely thrilled to have been appointed as chairman of the London 2017 Local Organising Committee and have the opportunity to fulfil the promises we made in the bid," said Warner, who is also chairman of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Athletics Sport Technical Committee.

"From the very start London 2017 has been a partnership between UK Athletics, DCMS, the Mayor's Office and UK Sport and I look forward to continuing that collaboration as we move into event delivery mode."

London 2017_delegation_present_bid_Monte_Carlo_November_11_2011
Robertson, another key member of the delegation in Monte Carlo, said: "The appointment of Ed Warner to chair the Organising Committee builds on the great work done by him and UK Athletics to win the bid.

"The challenge now will be to build on the momentum that London 2012 gives us to deliver a fantastic World Athletics Championships in 2017."

Johnson also praised Warner, saying: "Ed is a Londoner and I know he will lead the Committee to ensure an outstanding World Athletics Championships is staged here in the capital and continue London's great tradition of hosting the world's biggest events."

UK Sport chair Baroness Sue Campbell added: "Ed will do a fantastic job of leading the Local Organising Committee that will stage the London 2017 World Athletics Championships."

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