West Ham United has reached an agreement for the London Stadium to be included as a host venue in London's bid for the 2029 World Athletics Championships.
The club confirmed the news in a statement on Thursday afternoon, following a period of detailed negotiations with organisers, stadium operators, and football governing bodies.
Agreement details
Under the agreement, West Ham and the London Stadium will work together to deliver new initiatives aimed at enhancing the stadium and matchday experience for supporters.
Any disruption to the football schedule will be confirmed once it is known which division and other competitions the club will be competing in during the 2029/30 season. Further discussions with relevant football governing bodies will then take place to mitigate any potential impact on fixtures.
Background
The decision comes after complex negotiations, with West Ham originally unwilling to vacate the stadium for around three weeks in September while the event takes place.
The club's stance had drawn criticism from British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith and Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson, who joked that Great Britain would win more medals at the London Stadium than West Ham have in their entire history if London were to host the championships.
If the UK government-backed bid is successful, West Ham are likely to face significant disruption to their fixture schedule, but the club said they have prioritised minimising impact on supporters.
