Lord Sebastian Coe has revealed his delight at London's winning bid to host the 2017 World Athletics Championships.
The English capital beat Doha in the final vote to stage their first ever World Championships.
"The maintenance of the track and field legacy was absolutely crucial," said Coe. "It's a great, great result and it's down to the clarity of the message that [UK Athletics chairman] Ed Warner and the team have been working on."
Meanwhile Prime Minister David Cameron expressed his excitement following the announcement.
"There is no better way to follow the Olympics, and to build on its legacy, than by welcoming the world's greatest athletes back to London for the 2017 World Championships," he said.
"We are determined to make 2017 the most successful World Championships there has ever been and we look forward to welcoming athletes and fans from the world over to our vibrant, multicultural, sports-mad capital."
London will also host next year's Olympic Games.