A "floodlit marathon and a state-of-the-art stadium that could feature an air-cooling system were two of the ambitious proposals that resulted in the IAAF awarding the 2019 World Athletics Championships to Doha" on Tuesday, according to Ron Lewis of the LONDON TIMES. Eager to avoid the sort of fears about extreme heat surrounding Qatar’s winning 2022 World Cup bid, the IAAF calendar "will be redrawn, with the event that traditionally takes place in August running from September 28 to October 6." That means "it will be the climax of the track season, but it could have a knock-on effect for other events, including the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, which begin fewer than ten months later." Most leading athletes "would have been expecting to be on their close season at the point that they will now have to be peaking for Doha." Temperatures in October "are unlikely to rise above 35C (95F)" rather than edging towards 50C in mid-summer. British 400m world champion Christine Ohuruogu said, “It’s a concern. If it does get uncomfortably hot and starts encroaching into the area of health and safety, I think you really have to think about where you are making athletes go to." The championships "will be held at the refurbished Khalifa International Stadium." As part of preparations for the 2022 World Cup, "an air-cooling system will be installed in the stadium." A string of global sporting events are "heading to the oil-rich state on the Arabian Peninsula." Next month, the World Short-Course Swimming Championships "will be held in Doha, followed a month later by the World Men’s Handball Championships." Next year, the World Amateur Boxing Championships -- the main qualifying tournament for the Olympics -- "will take place in the city." Qatar "may also bid for the Olympics in 2024." Fears that only mineral-wealthy states can now afford to host large global events "have prompted the IOC to draw up a new series of recommendations that could lead to the Olympic Games taking place in neighbouring countries" (LONDON TIMES, 11/19).
