Six countries have entered the reopened bidding for the 2005 World Championships after Britain's withdrawal was officially confirmed this afternoon. The event had been due to take place in London, but problems surrounding the planned - and then scrapped - Picketts Lock stadium ended the capital's hopes of staging the championships.
Sheffield was put forward as an alternative but met with little support from the International Association of Athletics Federations and has not made an official bid. Brussels, Budapest, Helsinki, Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Rome and Moscow have all sent letters of intent to the IAAF expressing an interest in replacing London as the host city.
Delegates from each country will be briefed on the bidding process at the IAAF's Monaco headquarters on Friday. A final decision will be made at the IAAF council meeting in Nairobi on April 14.
Filed by Shane Murray
