2019 the best ever, says Coe

IAAF president Lord Coe has hailed the sporting achievements at the 2019 World Championships in Doha as the best ever.

Crowds have been largely disappointing at the event over the past 10 days, although the local organising committee claimed over 40,000 watched Friday’s session.

Just 7,266 fans were in the stands last Sunday with the women’s 100 metres final – when Dina Asher-Smith claimed silver behind Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann FraserPryce – run in front of a virtually empty stadium.

The air, sea and land blockade on Qatar from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt has been partially blamed for the attendances.

The countries have cut diplomatic and trade ties with Doha, claiming it was too close to Iran.

But Coe believes the Championships will ultimately be viewed as a success.

Speaking at the closing press conference yesterday, he said: “Our sport is in pretty good shape. It is pretty clear to us on athlete performance this is the best World Championships we have ever had.

“It is really important the sport moves around the world, and it cannot forge its relationships based on political structures or transitory political systems.

“We would not have sporting relationships (otherwise).

“That is why sport will continue to work and sweat as hard as it does to make social change.

“We are not competitors, we are collaborators.”

The BBC has secured broadcast rights to the 2021 and 2023 World Championships.