Scotland as hosts will make for special World Championships in Glasgow

Sebastian Coe says the Scottish hosts will make the World Athletic Championships a “special” event.

The event kicks-off in Glasgow on Friday and will run at the Emirates Arena for three -days at the with several gold-medals and podium places on the line for the likes of homegrown talents Laura Muir and Josh Kerr.

And after previous successful sporting events being held in the city, Coe, the President of World Olympics, is excited for the atmosphere that the fans will bring.

When asked what will make these championships special he told STV Sport: “I’m not just saying this because I am standing here, but Scotland!.

“We have been here before and Glasgow, particularly, puts on great championships.

“Obviously everyone remembers the Commonwealth Games and but we also had the European indoor championships here not that long ago. The atmosphere, the knowledge, the crowd and the intimacy.

“Indoors is very different, it requires a wholly different skill set than the athletes, and the great thing about it that the athletes will raise their game because of the fans here.”

President of the International Association of Athletics Federations Sebastian Coe is excited for the championships. SNS Group

Coe, a four-time Olympic gold medal winner and a one-time record holder in the 800metres, is also confident that the games can leave a lasting impact and help bring on the next generation of athletes.

He said: “I always remind people that when we choose a venue for a world championships we are not just choosing it on the operational ability to deliver a championships, as critical as that is because you can’t have an organisational committee that lets the athletes down, but there has to be a bigger play as well.

“Young people maybe seeing the sport for the first time, making sure that off the back of a championships, if possible, wanting to find out where the local athletics club is and there is not just a Glasgow play here, there is a play regionally as well.

“And the great advantage that Scotland has at the moment is that in large part Scottish athletes are becoming pretty accustomed to podiums on international settings, so you’ve got some really big role models out there, Josh Kerr, Laura Muir and athletes of that status who are currently some of the best in the world.”

Last minute tickets all still available for all three days of the event that will run between March 1 and March 3 and can be purchased here. https://i.stv.tv/42VSnzC