The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has welcomed the news that London has beaten off stiff competition to be crowned the ‘Ultimate Sports City’ in the world. London received the prestigious honour at the SportAccord Convention in Antalya, Turkey earlier today (10 April).
The UK capital was up against a shortlist of thirty cities around the world including Melbourne – which won the coveted title in 2006, 2008 and 2010 – New York, Singapore and Berlin. The city was praised for delivering an outstanding Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 and for securing an exceptional legacy of grass-roots and elite sporting events. London’s passion for sport was also highlighted as was the city’s ability to attract global media attention for major events.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Whether it is the Wimbledon tennis championships, the FA Cup Final, Test match cricket at Lords or any of the mind-boggling variety of major events that take place here, there can be no doubt that London is the greatest city on the planet for sport. Fresh from the success of a sell-out Olympic and Paralympic Games, we are now looking forward to a series of thrilling sporting fixtures in the years ahead, many which will be hosted in our stunning 2012 venues. As well as bringing economic dividends, attracting the world’s best sport to our city is motivating even more Londoners to get active and nurturing the stars of the future. I am delighted that our status as a world beater has been recognised through this latest accolade.”
The Mayor of London is determined to keep London as the number one home for world-class sport for many years to come. Since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, London has secured an impressive programme of major sports events including this summer’s Tour de France, the Rugby Union World Cup in 2015 and the IAAF & IPC World Athletics Championships in 2017. Other events include the EuroHockey Championships 2015, the European Swimming Championships 2015, the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships 2015 and cycling’s UCI Track World Championships 2016.
SportBusiness Ultimate Sports City Head Judge Rachael Church-Sanders said: “UK’s capital city London has triumphed for the second time in a row to win the award of SportBusiness Ultimate Sports City. London is consistently viewed as the perfect inspirational and iconic stage to host major events and this is reflected in the retention of this title in 2014. The city’s passion for sport, excellent transport links and ability to draw huge international global press and media attention makes it a worthy winner once again following the city’s accolade in 2012 when the awards were last held. Not only did hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 provide London with a legacy of new world-class venues adding to those the city already had to offer, but the city has continued to add to its impressive pipeline of future major events which is the trademark of a true Ultimate Sports City.”
The internationally recognised Ultimate Sports Cities Awards are the longest established rankings of the world’s top sports hosts and have been held every two years since 2006. In addition to the Ultimate Sports City accolade London also won awards for Best Hosting, Best Public Sports Interest and Best Marketing & Branding.
