Munich faces strong competition in the race to host the World Athletics Championships in 2029 or 2031, after Sebastian Coe, President of the International Association of Athletics Federations, confirmed that there are “distinct hosting files” before the federation.
Coe said - in press statements, on Sunday - on the sidelines of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest: “We have some truly distinguished and convincing hosting files on the table. We have a committee that has reviewed all the files, and will now make its recommendation.”
The next edition of the World Championship will be held in Beijing in 2027, and the host countries for the 2029 and 2031 editions will be announced next Tuesday.
The list of candidates includes Munich, London, Rome and Nairobi, among other cities.
In response to a question from the German News Agency, Coe refused to reveal the city he preferred.
Germany previously hosted the World Athletics Championships in 1993 in Stuttgart and 2009 in Berlin.
The President of the International Association of Athletics Federations, British Sebastian Coe, confirmed on Sunday that his position on the sanctions imposed on Russia by the international body supervising the Mother of the Games has not changed.
The Russian Football Federation had filed a new lawsuit before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to challenge the International Federation’s sanctions, demanding: Not only will Russian athletes be allowed to participate in order to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics; But also to restore his rights.
The International Federation announced in July the maintenance of the ban imposed on Russian and Belarusian athletes, which was implemented in March 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian Athletics Federation confirms that these sanctions are “selective and politicized.” He said: “The current restrictions violate the organization’s rights and prevent it from fully representing the interests of Russian athletes at the international level.”
The International Olympic Committee announced that Russian athletes will be allowed to compete in team sports and qualifiers for the Los Angeles Olympics.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said: “We have made clear that we want to ensure that all athletes have the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games, and that they do not bear responsibility for the actions of their governments.”
Ukraine criticized the International Olympic Committee's decision regarding Russian participation in the Los Angeles Olympics, describing it as "premature and lacking foundations," at a time when the war resulting from the Russian invasion continues for the fifth year.
The position of the International Association of Athletics Federations, headed by Ko, who won two Olympic gold medals in the 1,500-meter race, differs from the positions of other Olympic sports federations.
For example, the International Gymnastics and Skating Federations have eased restrictions on Russian athletes.
Coe, 69 years old, said on the sidelines of the first edition of the Ultimate Championship in Budapest, on Sunday, that he still fully believes in the policy of the International Association of Athletics Federations.
The Briton added: “First, our position has not changed. This is not about politics or passports; Rather, with the integrity of competition.”
He added: “Since I was eighteen years old, I have believed in this. “Every position I took - whether during the creation of the first IOC Athletes Commission, or the positions I took personally - was about integrity and about competition.”
He continued: “This is important to me, so our position will not change.”
Coe said last month that he intended to appear personally before the Court of Arbitration for Sport to defend this position.
But the Executive Director of the Russian Federation, Boris Yaryshevsky, said in an interview with the Russian “TASS” agency, last week, that Ko exceeded the limits of political neutrality with this statement.
He added: “It is very clear that he has something personal. It no longer speaks for the IAAF as an international federation. "He is speaking for himself, saying that he will personally go to court to defend this."
He continued: “I think this is just his personal position, and not the position of the International Association of Athletics Federations.”
On Sunday, Coe acknowledged the necessity of finding a solution to this impasse, and said: “Yes, this issue must be resolved, and I fully understand that.”
He added: “It is important. “We want full participation of world-class athletes in our sport, and that should be our overall goal, and of course it is.”
Borussia Mönchengladbach announced today, Sunday, the dismissal of its coach, Eugene Polanski, after the team began the new season in the German Football League by losing the three matches it played.
Gladbach announced Polanski's departure the day after the crushing 5-0 defeat against Freiburg yesterday, which kept the team in last place in the league standings. Polanski, a former player in Gladbach's youth and adult teams for a long time, took over as coach of the team in September 2025.
Gladbach sporting director Reuven Schroeder said in a statement: “Despite good preparations for the season and some encouraging indicators, the team was unable to achieve the desired results in the German League.”
He added: “Our performance in recent matches ultimately led us to conclude that a change was necessary, so we decided to relieve Eugene of his duties immediately.”
Gladbach lost the opening match of the season against RB Leipzig 3-0, and a week later conceded three goals in the second half to lose 4-3 to promoted Elversberg.
Jan-Mauritz Lichte, former Mainz coach, will take over temporarily.
