London is up against the Qatari capital Doha in a closely contested two-horse race and Coe - the London 2012 chairman and IAAF vice-president after he was re-elected to the position in Daegu last month - is leading the 2017 bid in a coalition made up of UK Athletics, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), UK Sport and London & Partners, who are the London Mayor's promotional agency.

The double Olympic 1500 metres champion has claimed that the key to winning the race to host the 2017 competition is convincing his colleagues at the world governing body for athletics that London is the best place for the event before the IAAF's ruling Council gather to vote on the hosts in Monte Carlo on November 11.

"The bid has gone in and everybody is now working very hard to convince the athletics family and my colleagues on the IAAF that we are the right place to stage the 2017 World Athletics Championships," Coe told insidethegames during a visit to the Ricoh Stadium in Coventry.

"We will continue to work hard to the very end because we know London would stage a great Championships.

"Athletics sits at the heart of all sports and we have a country and a city full of passionate athletics fans.

"Bringing the World Championships to London would help to increase that fan base, grow the sport commercially and continue to drive the inspirational power of sport and athletics to young people in our own country and around the world."


London's bid continues to be overshadowed by the fact that Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton Orient are disputing the decision earlier this year to award the Olympic Stadium after London 2012 to West Ham United - the only football club committed to keeping the track in place.

Tottenham are still seeking a judicial review on October 18, while Orient has taken the case to the European Union, but Coe reiterated he is confident the track will remain in place after London 2012.

"We are bidding hard and lobbying hard on the basis that we will have a great stadium with a great track in place for the competition," Coe said.

"I can't think of a more fitting tribute to celebrate the fifth birthday of the Olympic Stadium in London in 2017 than by having thousands of athletics fans gathering once again to cheer on the world's greatest sports stars."

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