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Dina Asher-Smith unhappy over UKA’s plan to quit London Stadium

 

Dina Asher-Smith has called for UK athletics to maintain a presence in the capital amid talks that could see the cash-strapped governing body sell its right to use the London stadium.

UKA is understood to be in talks over a possible deal to give up its occupation of the London 2012 centerpiece for one weekend every July.

They signed a 50-year lease in 2013 on the ground, which is home to West Ham, but with a new stadium being built in Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games, fears are growing within athletics that they could charge between £10 million and £15 million and move away from London.

Ahead of her season opener in Doha on Friday, where she will run the 200m, Britain’s most prominent athlete Asher-Smith said: “We’ve got a really nice new stadium in Birmingham which I’ll be lucky enough to try.” next week (at the Diamond League match on May 21).

I’m very excited about that and very excited for the Commonwealth Games. But I always think that London is the center of sport in the UK and it would be amazing to have a base and actually use the London Stadium, particularly as it is the Olympic Stadium and it is where the Anniversary Games have been held.

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The 200m world champion also confirmed that she intends to contest each of the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and European Championships, which are within six weeks of a congested summer.

She said: ‘For British athletes it is the busiest season we have ever had. We have the World Championships, then we have the Commonwealth Games at home and a week later we have the European Championships.

“I have four titles between them, so I’m definitely going to be very busy.”

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