Doha disaster: How the world’s finest athletes are battling for golds in front of a pitiful number of fans at Qatar’s soulless World Championships in an eerily empty stadium
- The World Athletics Championships in Doha have been beset by woeful attendances and lack of atmosphere
- Only 11,300 people bought tickets to watch the men’s 100m final at the Khalifa International Stadium
- Compare those attendances to London two years ago, where 705,000 fans attended the Championships
- It has made for disappointing scenes, with the likes of Dina Asher-Smith celebrating in front of empty stands
- The likes of Michael Johnson and Denise Lewis have been extremely critical of IOC awarding event to Qatar
The World Athletics Championships in Doha have been marred by poor attendances and a woeful atmosphere at the Khalifa International Stadium, with swathes of empty seats providing the backdrop for every single event.
From Christian Coleman winning 100m gold in the first major meet since Usain Bolt’s retirement, to Dina Asher-Smith picking up Great Britain’s first-ever medal in a women’s sprint event, each individual achievement has been undermined by a distinct lack of interest in Qatar.
Only 11,300 attended the men’s 100m final – considered the most prestigious event – and the scenes have scuppered any hopes the country has of hosting the Olympics in the foreseeable future.
It is a far cry from the 2017 edition, which set records for attendances. Around 705,000 tickets were sold when the championships headed to London two years ago on the fifth anniversary of the city hosting the Olympics.
Pundits have lined up to attack the IOC’s decision to award the event to Doha, with Denise Lewis and Michael Johnson both extremely critical of the move, which has been defended by athletics chief Lord Coe.
However, there is a concensus among those who care about the sport that the awarding of the championships to Qatar, money-motivated or not, has done untold damage to the image of athletics.
The IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha have been plagued by a poor atmosphere and dismal attendances
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (fourth from right) took gold for Jamaica in front of a virtually empty stadium on Sunday evening
That race saw Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith claim silver, but there was barely anyone there to celebrate the moment with her
She performed her lap of honour only a handful of people inside the 40,000-seater Khalifa International Stadium in Doha
It wasn’t much better for the men’s 200m final, which saw only a marginal improvement on numbers in the crows on Tuesday
American Noah Lyles won gold in the event and didn’t seem to care about the lack of supporters cheering his achievement
The medal ceremonies have been carried out in front of a massive screen, hiding the embarrassing lack of fans inside
Two supporters, giving their backing to the British athletes on display, found themselves entirely secluded in the stands
Canadian runner Andre de Grasse takes a moment in virtual silence following his run to silver in the 200m final in Doha
Cameramen attempt to get the best angle on De Grasse, with only a couple of Canadian fans visible in the seats (top left)
The 2017 World Championships broke attendance records, but Christian Coleman took 100m gold in front of a woeful crowd
The American celebrates wrapped in his country’s flag but there is no one around despite the popularity of his event
Kelsey-Lee Barber of Australia launches her javelin into the Doha night sky in front of row upon row of empty seats
The Australian celebrated her gold medal success but her lap of honour is taken in by only a few hundred in Qatar
Cypriot Milan Trajkovic competes in the men’s 110m hurdles at the Khalifa International Stadium, with plenty of red on show
Sitting in the plush seats at the stadium, one man chooses to play on his phone rather than keeping his eye on the action
Sandi Morris clears the bar during the pole vault final, but there are few spectators, with some even turning to leave (left)
Morris went on to claim silver in an exhilarating, however there were few inside who witnessed the spectacle in person
Joel Baden completes one of his jumps in the men’s high jump, but dotted white and red seats show another sparse crowd
South Africa’s Ruswahl Samaai takes a giant leap during the long jump compeition in front of near-empty upper tiers
Tajay Gayle delivers a massive jump to seal gold for Jamaica in the long jump, with the seat patterns entirely visible overhead
Martyn Rooney (third left) raced in front of a sold-out crowd in London two years ago – it was a very different story in Qatar
Great Britain’s Nick Miller almost had the Khalifa International Stadium to himself as he took part in the hammer qualifiers
For all the top performances on the track, the legacy of the 2019 World Championships will be the images of the stands
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