The world governing body of athletics today reopened bidding for the 2005 world championships after the British government's decision to abandon plans for a new stadium at Picketts Lock in northeast London.
"The bidding will be reopened in two days and the decision will be taken next spring," International Association of Athletics Federations general secretary Istvan Gyulai told reporters. "Where or when we don't know".
Gyulai said a letter from the British government and the national governing body, UK Athletics, urging the IAAF to switch the championships from London to the northern city of Sheffield had been shown to all the federation's council members today.
He said the offer had not been discussed at a council meeting but that Sheffield could still apply to host the championships, which are the third-biggest event in the world after the Olympic Games and the soccer World Cup.