Murer, 30, succeeded Isinbayeva as world champion in Daegu in August and the two will now head-to-head again because the Russian is backing Doha's bid to host the 2017 Championships.

Murer is the latest high-profile foreign athlete to come out in support of London, joining Ethiopia's double Olympic 10,000 metres champions Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele, Jamaica's former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell and America's Jesse Williams, the new world high jump champion, who is another new ambassador.

As members of the London 2017 Athlete Commission chaired by British Olympic gold medallists Denise Lewis and Jason Gardener, Williams and Murer will draw on their experience as world-class athletes to provide the bid team with personal insight into optimising all aspects of the athlete experience at a World Championships.

"Winning a gold medal at this year's IAAF World Championships was the highlight of my career so far and I would really like to see the 2017 Championships hosted in a city that values athletics like London does," said Murer.

"Bringing the World Championships back to Europe and to a global city like London in 2017 would be a great way to follow a spectacular Olympic Games in my home country in 2016.

"I wish London's bid the best of luck."

Ed Warner, the chairman of UK Athletics, hailed the latest additions to roster of top names supporting London's bid.

"Adding the support of two world champion athletes of the calibre of Jesse Williams and Fabiana Murer to the London 2017 bid is a huge boost for us, and our Athlete Commission will benefit greatly from their expertise," he said.

"We believe in providing the optimum athlete experience in 2017 and their invaluable advice under Denise Lewis' leadership on the Athlete Commission will continue to ensure that London's bid delivers on that promise."

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