Vladimir Putin promoted Moscow as a host of the 2011 world athletics championships at a meeting with the president of International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Lamine Diack Monday, Itar-Tass news agency reported.

“This year, Moscow hosted the World Indoor Athletics Championships… I am certain that Moscow could also host the World Outdoor Athletics Championships,” Putin said. He added that Moscow would definitely prove a capable host.

Diack noticed after the meeting at the Kremlin that Russia gave a great example of how to successfully promote athletics in a country with a cold climate. “That’s why we feel that Moscow has a very good chance of staging the world championships in 2011, despite the fact that we have eight other countries competing,” he said.

Cities in South Korea, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Australia, Sweden, Croatia and the United States are also vying to host the event.

The IAAF council is expected to announce the winning bid in early 2007.

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