Four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson has insisted that the United Kingdom needs a stadium that will be dedicated to athletics if the Olympic legacy is to be maintained.

West Ham United will become the anchor tenants of the Olympic Stadium from 2016, paying around £2m per year in rent after the arena is converted into a football ground.

However, Johnson believes that athletics needs a home in the UK if the country is going to produce world-class athletes.

"It's very important for the sport of athletics. It's extremely important for the legacy of the London Games. Athletics has always been important to this country," he told Sky Sports News.

"It's extremely important that you have a stadium that's dedicated to that to bring international championships to the UK which is an extremely important market for athletics."

Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium, which has also been used as an athletics venue, is closing in September.