The 2017 World Athletics Championships could be moved out of its normal July-August window to accommodate a bid by Qatar, athletics’ governing body the IAAF said yesterday.

IAAF president Lamine Diack confirmed that there were just two bidding cities for the 2017 worlds: London and Doha, where summer temperatures can rise to a searing 40 Celsius-plus.

“For the world championships, it is possible to move dates,” Diack said. “We never said that a world championships had to take place in August every time. We have had some take place in September.

“I’ll not be personally against the fact that our championship ends the season. I have nothing against it.”

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies also confirmed that Barcelona had not submitted a bid to host the 2017 worlds by the September 1 deadline.

He added that the London bid was based on track and field taking place at the Olympic Stadium, which is at the centre of legal proceedings to determine who will be the future owners.

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