The London venue is joined by the Century Link Centre in Omaha, Nebraska, as the other venue proposing to stage both finals in 2017.

The 20,000 capacity O2 Arena, known as the North Greenwich Arena during the Olympics because of marketing restrictions, held gymnastics, trampoline, basketball and wheelchair basketball events during London 2012 and earlier this year hosted an international polo gathering and the Royal Horse Gala.

The venue in Omaha has a capacity of just under 19,000 and along with staging concerts it is also home to local university ice hockey and basketball teams.

The United States Olympic swimming trials have also been staged in a temporary pool at the arena in the past.

The venue for the Hong Kong Masters, the AsiaWorld Expo, situated near to Hong Kong International Airport, has applied to host the 2017 jumping final while the Indoor Brabant arena in's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, is bidding for the dressage final.

The Dutch venue has previously hosted both World Cup finals in 2012.

Meanwhile, the FEI has revealed it has received bids for the senior 2017 European Championships.

Gothenburg has applied to host the jumping, dressage, driving (four in hand) and Para-dressage events in 2017 while Rotterdam has bid to host the jumping competition.

Strezgom in Poland and Fontainebleau in France have bid to host the 2017 Eventing Championships.

The Indoor Brabant arena in s-Hertogenbosch has hosted both the jumping and dressage World Cup finals in 2012 and has bid for the jumping final in 2017 ©Getty Images

























The FEI has also confirmed today that Wellington in Florida, Lexington in Kentucky and Canada's Bromont/Montreal have all been accepted as official candidates in the bid process for the 2018 World Equestrian Games following assessment of each Bid Questionnaire by the governing body's Evaluation Commission.

The Commission will now conduct individual site visits before candidates present their final bid submissions at a meeting of the FEI Bureau in June next year, at which the successful bidders for all the 2017 events will also be announced.

"It is gratifying that our key events are attracting such strong interest from bidders," said FEI secretary general Ingmar De Vos.

"We have got a very impressive portfolio that includes the FEI World Equestrian Games, our FEI series and the Championships.

"It's testament to the value of these events that so many countries are vying to host them."

Allocation for all these events is due to be made during the FEI ruling Bureau meeting in June 2014.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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