London to host global greats

LONDON — London will host a new World Cup event this summer featuring eight top nations,, including Jamaica and China, British Athletics announced on Monday.

Along with Jamaica and China, the host team will be joined by the United States, Poland, Germany, France and South Africa for the July 14-15 meet at London Stadium.

The competition follows last year’s world athletics championships in the British capital, which also hosted the Olympics in 2012.

The format will feature all field events and track events up to and including the 1500m, with just one man and one woman from each nation in each event.

Each nation will be competing for a $2 million prize pot over two evening sessions under the lights.

“It’s great to see such an exciting head-to-head event confirmed to be taking place in London this summer — the concept is one that will excite everyone in athletics and is sure to attract new fans to the sport,” Olympic and world 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk said on Monday.

Sebastian Coe, president of athletics’ world governing body the IAAF, hailed the “innovative” event.

“We have eight lanes, eight top nations, eight teams and a host of world-class athletes lining up in each event to win the trophy and prize pot. This will be a fast-paced and exhilarating experience for athletes and fans,” said Coe.

UK Athletics chief executive Niels de Vos said he was confident the event will capture the attention of the sporting world, even though it clashes with the World Cup final in Russia and the Wimbledon finals.

“When you have a new concept in sport, actually what better time to do it than when everyone’s talking about the football World Cup,” he said.

“There is no global athletics event this year and there’s certainly space for a global team event,” he said.

“The public likes medals and flags, in simple terms. It’s a sugar rush of a 10-day meet crammed into two days.”

De Vos said he expected top stars from the competing nations to take part in London, attracted by the substantial prize pot and the chance to compete for national pride in front of bumper crowds.

“We’ll select the British champion (in each event) but we don’t know how the other nations will make their selections,” he added.

“It’s up to the individual countries how they pick their athletes.”