Opening Ceremony Athletics: World Championships

Six July 2005 London was given the right to host the Olympic Games for

the first time since 1948, seven years ahead, David Beckham and Steve

Redgrave passed the Olympic torch. Opening ceremony only the start. The

speeches which were taken to heart. Before we look to the future,

reminisce to the past with a trip to the Olympic Park. Remembers super

Saturday, when history was made and Team GB scored three goals? The

field was levelled. 46 minutes collecting the treble. Just

something about the city, one of the greatest on the globe, stories have

been written, the stuff of visions, we make our visions live and replay

with precision. Watch them as they relapse on the Olympic Park. Find a

way to channel your energy, I know it's hard. Set to make the mark, the

fastest athletes in the world. We've got Usain Bolt, the king on the

throne, 11 times he's crossed the line, but him and Mo set to retire

once the championship is over. Lexi cemented in place over the next ten

days, this is the next-generation's phase. -- legacy cemented. London

2017, the World Athletics Championships. The stuff of dreams

until we make it a reality, London 2017, a World Athletics

Championships. Michael Johnson storming away to

another gold medal! Magnificent, Carl Lewis. That is history in the

making. Jessica Ennis-Hill back on top of the world. It's massive. The

champion of the world. Five years after the greatest show

on earth, The London Stadium in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

is the focal point of For the next 10 days,

the best track and field athletes on the planet will go head-to-head

in their quest to strive faster, higher and stronger - with precious

medals all in their sights. We're in for a treat -

and we'd love you to join us on the BBC in witnessing

what we hope will be another special event

which is hosted here in the UK. I'm delighted to say that one of the

shining stars of that Olympic Games five years ago is with us on the

sofa. Jessica Ennis-Hill, great to have you here alongside Denise Lewis

and Michael, who are equally excited about remembering and looking

forward. When you come here, and we've been here for a couple of

hours, the crowds have been here in anticipation, is there a bit of you

that wishes you were still back down there? In all honesty, no. I've had

an amazing time on this track and it would be hard to top that. It's nice

to be on this site now and experiencing the build-up, the

crowd, the atmosphere in a different way. I don't find the need to be on

the track. Physically perhaps at the moment, not the ideal time. You are

a month away from giving birth to your second child I might struggle

with the hurdles! The decision of when to call it a day and when to

stop putting your body on the line constantly, sometimes it's made for

you and sometimes you get the luxury of saying, as you did in Rio, enough

is enough. There is always that feeling when you come into an event

like this that you know what it's all about, how to do it. I think

it's the first time you are watching from the sidelines, yes, you

recognise that. Jess went out at the top of her game, but wait until the

first gun goes and the excitement kicks in. There is a pang of, oh, I

wish I was still there. But you have to move on, and Jess is doing that

happily. She's got lovely things to look forward to. But it's hard

watching the first championships you are not competing. We were here 24

hours ago with an empty stadium and they were still painting things and

getting ready. As you walk in today, do you get the sense that there is a

feeling, from the knowledgeable sporting crowd, that they want to

tap back into those great feelings of five years ago? Absolutely, the

build-up and anticipation has been robust. People are wanting this,

they want to come back in here and see a repeat of five years ago. They

are not going to get quite that, because Jess is up here with us, but

I think they will see some fantastic athletics. The World Championships

following an Olympic year provides the opportunity to see which stars

are truly going to emerge as the new stars of the sport, after having put

themselves out there last year, having won the gold, are they going

to do that more and will be able to see that over the next ten days.

Here you are in 2012, one of the great roars of the Olympic Games. A

moment you've seen many times, I'm sure. I never get tired of that,

that feeling you get when you've achieved all you wanted to achieve

and done all the training and you get to stand on that podium. I think

you have 13 World Championship medals between you, which is

incredible. You'll get another one this weekend, with the reallocation

of medals happening, and one of those is yours, on Sunday you'll get

the gold from Daegu. But your second gold as it was at that time came in

Beijing just a year after the birth of your child. Tell us a bit about

World Championships and what it's like to get everything right on that

day. Two days, with you. It's hard in our sport and you have injuries

and setbacks along the way. I had my first World Championships ten years

ago in Osaka. To think back to that time and compare it to 2015,

standing on the podium after having my son, it takes a lot of drive, a

lot of determination, but it's an incredible feeling. It's like

nothing else. That's probably one of my proudest moments. Because you

came back after Reggie. Because I knew how hard it was. It was a

massive challenge. Before you become a parent, you don't know how your

life is going to change, and it changes massively. To find my way

back into training and back into the top of the stage, the world stage,

that was the hardest thing I've ever done but the most rewarding. We will

be tapping back into many of those memories and getting your take on

this year's heptathlete line-up, which kicks off tomorrow. Katarina

Johnson-Thompson of Great Britain is hoping to emulate the great work of

Denise and Jess. Let's go back five years and remind you of the opening

ceremony, incredible, back in the Olympic stadium. Thomas

Heatherwick's flame was the centrepiece for the two weeks, and

we were treated to the most magnificent physical, theatrical,

firework show. It was The Aisles Of Wonder by Danny Boyle. I'm pretty

sure we will not have fireworks like that today, and we will not see

Steve Redgrave, but I'm sure we'll have a lovely opening ceremony. It

is taking place at about 6:40pm. There was at least one reminder of

2012, and Oreo goober is with some special participants. -- Ore Oduba.

London 2012 would not have hit the right note if it wasn't for the

Games Makers Choir, and some of them are robust. It is a pleasure to be

with all of you. Victoria, it's down to you that this magnificent

bemusedly Lily community came together. It's amazing, I was a

volunteer in 2012, I had the idea of a choir and 200 people signed up.

From there, you didn't just perform around London 2012, but he went on

to perform as your own entity in loads of other stadiums. And here

you are. I can't believe it. I'd never have thought that that group

of volunteers five years ago would become the choir for sport. Over the

last five years, we've performed at Wembley, Twickenham, he Olympic

stadium, events like the Rugby World Cup, and it's the biggest privilege

to be back here, five years later almost to the day. You are just six

of 100 in your group. You are one of them, is on double stop you were

also there in 2012. Tell us about the feeling and emotion. You were

telling us about the smile on your face. It's incredible, the memories

of London 2012. I volunteered at the Paralympics, and it was incredible.

The unity that you feel with the other volunteers, and everybody is

so friendly, it feels really good back and experience that again. Give

us an idea of what it is like to sing amongst your friends. It's

wonderful. We describe ourselves often as a family. We have a lot of

fun, we have an amazing time, and it's wonderful to be back here and

to relive that spirit. We very much have that spirit of London 2012

living on, our legacy, I guess, from 2012. We have this choir. To keep

those memories going. And he will have more memories tonight. It will

be another special occasion. These guys just sing, because Margaret and

I are going to have a little dance later. Don't you worry! Baxter come.

Singing first, dancing later. They are already in full flow in what is

the preshow to the opening ceremony. The Games Makers Choir.

One of the legacies to that games was how many people volunteered and

made such a success across a whole dream of activities. 1 million

people contributed. I guess athletics, like many sports, is a

sport that lives on its grassroots and volunteers, and it is still that

way. Absolutely. The 70,000 plus volunteers at the Olympics were

incredible. They were the eyes, the voice, setting the scene of the

championships. It is a sport that relies heavily on volunteers. It has

been the fabric for so long, since doing the grass, cutting the lawns,

and knowing, and just delivering stadiums around the country, to make

us better athletes. It's great. I know it isn't necessarily what you

call a classic volunteer job, but it's amazing how many of the

athletes who held baskets for athletes in 2012 on our elite

athletes. It's incredible to see, and I know that one of them held my

box. Did you notice that the time? Yes, Laviai Nielsen is definitely a

talent for them so special that she had that experience, which very

different to what she will have in the stadium now, and to see how she

has developed. She will be in the relay. Being inspired to be around

elite athletes and realise their dreams. Londoners had a difficult,

tough 2017 so far, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, having to

oversee many, many terrible moments, but he knows more than anyone else

the optimism and hope that this city thrives on and will always dig deep

into, and he sees this championship as an opportunity to show the world

once again that London is alive and open for business. He was speaking

to Phil Jones earlier. I think it's there to say that

London knows how to put on a show. We saw at the Olympics and we are

seeing it now on the back of the Para World Championships. It's been

a great year for us as a sporting capital of the world and you know

what? We haven't begun yet, but already records have been broken.

The qualifying standards to compete in these World Championships are the

highest ever. We have the largest number of athletes at any World

Championships in history. And more tickets sold for London 2017 than

any previous World Championships. I can't wait. Tonight, especially,

Usain Bolt, Mo Farah going for gold. You are away from the politics and

the build-up, so what's it like as a sports fan? I can't wait to see Mo

Farah coming home. He is a London boy and he does us proud. Looking

forward to seeing Usain Bolt, a legend. I've been speaking to so

many Londoners. It's remarkable, everybody is claiming to have some

Jamaican heritage! But it's also the next generation, hoping that Lauren

yorked does well, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, can she finally

follow in the shadows of Jessica Ennis. The summer we have had, we

could do with this antidote. It's great to see record numbers queueing

outside. Tonight you will see a fantastic atmosphere and we do this

so well. Such a difficult year for the capital, with the terrorist

attacks and the Grenfell Tower fire. But you must be proud of how London

comes together in times of adversity and great celebration like this. All

of you around the world, I thank you for the support our city over the

summer. We've had a tragic fire, terrorist attacks on our city, and

we've shown the world that we are not going to allow anybody to trying

to divide us or to spread hatred, and what better way to show the

world about what we are known for, our diversity, equality, resilience.

You will see Jamaicans, Americans, Brits are those from all countries

in Africa, those from countries in Asia, all around the world, coming,

having a great time, being applauded irrespective of the colour flag they

are representing, irrespective of ethnicity and faith. That's what we

do so well. That's a great message on which to end. Thank you for

joining us. Enjoyed the next ten days. It's going to be a great

London 2017. He is definitely up for it! And he's

taking part in the opening ceremony. The Union Jacks are out, the Irish

flag, there are plenty of nations being represented. The main man, Mo

Farah, that is who so many people are here to see. He goes off at 20

past nine. Usain Bolt starts his assault on what will be his final

individual gold, if he wins, that final will be tomorrow night, and he

has qualifying heats later this evening, on BBC One. And there are

48 sets of three medals to be presented in these World

Championships, and this is what it looks like. The design is based on

track. Were designed by a company based in Birmingham, and you will be

pleased to know, Jess, that Tony Minichiello was on the creative

panel that fed into the design of the medals! I can't tell you the

surprise on Jess's face, ladies and gentlemen! I have told her something

she didn't know! Which bit of the medal do you think he was putting

his worth into? I don't know, maybe that little bit of there? You have

had a close look at what you have got plenty of these over the years

to get how do they compare? None of those, it's the bronze! These are

nice, I want one. You will have to do something to get one. I'm not

prepared to do that. You can't just sit up here and get one! You can

touch it for about another 20 minutes, then it has got to go back

downstairs. Medals also to be given

out very shortly - there will be five ceremonies

to reallocate the medals And receiving a silver

and two bronze medals which she was originally cheated out

of is a familiar face, and one of our great Olympic

and world champions. STEVE CRAM: What can use a about

Christine? Every time, she saves her best. Here comes Christine

Ohuruogu...! Christine Ohuruogu takes the gold medal! Oh, my

word...! Christine Ohuruogu will start to run her down... Will she

get there? Christine is coming! Another gold medal! Christine

Ohuruogu is the world champion again! Can she get there this time?

Christine Ohuruogu, a sterling effort to get the silver! And the

first of those medals that Christine will receive tonight is the 4x400m

relay squad, who have gone from fourth to bronze from 2009 and 2011.

These were both due to a ban for one particular Russian athlete. She's

there with her team-mates Lee McConnell, Vicky Barr, Nicholas

Saunders, they make up the quartet. It is a moment that, it's not the

day, it's not the time, it's not in the adrenaline of the moment, but to

get it in a stadium like this is something that, it's a small

consolation? It is, but I'm sure the girls are really, really delighted.

Denise label listen to that reception, it is incredible.

Delighted for them. They have been the backbone of the British team for

many years, and Nicola in particular, due to injuries, I think

did not reach her foal potential, despite that stunning silver medal

in Osaka. The other thing with these athletes, Michael, some of them will

have missed out on funding, which might have come with a medal, and

also potentially, they would have had a confidence boost, belief in

themselves, all of those things are in tangible? Yes, contracts are tied

to medals and performance. Reductions in your contract are also

tied to how you perform and the medals that you win or don't win.

And so the impact on athletes when an athlete cheats is significant. We

have always had spent time focusing on the cheetah, as opposed to the

victims. But it is great but the victims are being recognised

tonight. I think it should be a reminder and a wake-up call to the

sport that you can't have this sort of situation, where athletes, when

they retire from their sport, and years later, they are awarded a

medal but they should have gotten in their career. The impact on those

athletes is immense. It is great but the sport has started doing this,

because there will be lots of athletes, as we watch Francena

McCorory... GABBY LOGAN: This bronze moment,

Michael, she missed her moment, she never got another one? I have said

for years that one of the greatest examples of how devastating this can

be to an athlete is a training part that I had, we sat down one day and

just counted up the number of teams he would have made had it not been

for people who subsequently tested positive. The impact on those

athletes is tremendous. This is an athlete who, after getting that

medal, would have got contract renewals, prize-money, funding, and

would have got into races which she probably was not able to get into.

It is a shame, it is fantastic that we are able to recognise them here,

but the sport has to... We can't keep doing this, we have to avoid

this. You're going to be experiencing this on Sunday - what

are your thoughts? Again, obviously, it is a strange situation. I am

grateful to be receiving it in the stadium in this way, now being

retired. But on the same scale, of those moments are taken away from

you. Thankfully, I was able to go on and achieve more medals in

Championships, but like Michael says, for some athletes, that was

their one moment to shine and to be on the top of the podium, and it's

sad. And there they are back out again, this time it is for Daegu.

Again, it's another bronze. And with the addition of Perri

Shakes-Drayton, who has very excitedly joined the trio. Vicky

Barr is the one who was not here, of course, in 2009. , but as I said,

there have been so many athletes around the world who have never had

this opportunity, who feel they have been robbed by the drug cheats. As

Michael says, the sport is honouring them in some way, but we need to

eradicate it. This is not what we want to see. It is great that the

ladies are embracing the moment, but it's not what we want. But I think

as well it's so nice for people like Nicola Sanders, I texted her the

other day and said, I here you will be getting some blink in the stadium

- and she was not aware that she would be getting it. She has gone on

to have two children, and her life has gone on, so for here to be back

in the stadium... To experience this incredible crowd, and actually, Iwan

Thomas, who will be leading us to the ceremony later on, tweeted the

other day that he got his upgraded medal in the car park, it was handed

to him. That smacks of actually double indignity, doesn't it, to be

given it like that? Yeah, and that's why it is nice to be given it in a

stadium. The spectators know what it means to the athletes and it is

fantastic. I was going to say that this is a much better scenario than

most athletes in the past summer when they have got it in a room or

something. It goes without saying that you don't want to perfect this

- how do we give medals to athletes years after they should have won it?

Yeah, it is not something you want to feel you're getting absolutely

right, because it shouldn't be happening. Perhaps it is as good a

time as any to discuss the revelations from the Guardian

newspaper today, in what is looking like a horrendous EPO problem in

Ethiopia. It is an investigation which we will hope will be looked

into by higher authorities, and there will be action on that. We do

not have the full details, but it is a really distressing story, that you

can literally going to the pharmacy in Ethiopia and buy EPO

over-the-counter. It is one of those examples, where every time the

conversation turns to doping and sport, I think there is this

assumption that you can completely eradicate it - and cannot. I would

liken it to eradicating crime from society. You always have to have law

enforcement and a judicial system to catch those people who try to take

the short cut. They are always in the minority, but they're always

going to try to do that. The same thing in sport - you're always going

to have a few people who try to cheat. I don't think there is enough

funding. The US, the British, all of the national federations, there is

not enough funding to stay ahead of the cheats. And that is the problem.

That's the only you're going to win this, to get more funding into the

efforts to catch those that are trying to cheat. And also, with a

situation like Russia, and this Ethiopian story, that there is faith

in national bodies. There are 200 countries represented at the these

Championships. Not every country has the same ethics, but Sebastian Coe,

as CEO of the IAAF, he says, we all have to trust each other. Well,

trust can only go so far. You have to eliminate this idea that we are

going to allow federations to police themselves with the doping

situation, where they hand out the punishment and they are policing

themselves - it just doesn't work, you have to take it out of the hands

of the federations and make it independent, there is just no other

way. The French team from the 4x4, two of them, have made it here to

London to get their bronze! Because Russia won the event, it means

everybody steps up one. Not sure what happened to the original

bronze, do they have to give it back? Would they be allowed to keep

it? But why would they want that? The original bronze? Yes. Well,

you're no longer the bronze, I mean, it is a Messi situation. Because

everybody moved up in this ceremony, it means we're going to have our

first anthem of the Championships, because the United States of America

have gone from silver up to gold, and Michael, you will be pleased to

know, the anthem is going to be ringing out loud here in the London

Stadium in a few moments' time. I don't know if we will be hearing it

in these Championships as much as we have in the past. But suddenly, we

will probably hear it more than we hear any other one, that's for sure.

Fighting talk, early days! You want to challenge me on that?! No, you're

usually right! And in just a moment, we will hear the anthem of the

United States of America. ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen,

please acknowledge your IAAF medallists! And this was the last

lap from Moscow 2013, Christine Ohuruogu bringing it home, as she

always did for Great Britain. It was Russia who were in the lead and won

gold on the day but have since had their gold medal taken away. That

was why you just saw that reallocation of medals. It feels

like we're going to be talking about the reallocation of medals are

historically, but it was not that long ago, you know? Obviously,

people rightly criticise the doping, but athletics is always, constantly

trying to clean up its actor, to make sure that it is a clean sport,

and this is an example of that? Athletes are always under the

microscope, because we put ourselves maul we have been trying desperately

to clean up the actor, and we need to do that, we need to protect the

innocent ones, the ones who are training hard and making those

sacrifices. And this is why we need to make sure that we clean up the

sport for good. I think by Seb Coe's own admission, he said we cannot

guarantee that these Championships are going to be clean, but we can do

our very best. Tatyana Chernova, do you have any

personal feelings towards her? Is it easy to separate the emotion of what

she did? It's difficult, because for me personally there is a feeling of,

why would you do it? Why would you compete? She was asked questions

about it before and responded quite innocently that she's doing

everything the right way and she'd trained hard. I find it hard to

understand how athletes can go out, complete, talk in front of cameras

and know that they are doping. It's understanding the psychology. Has

she ever reached out to you and apologised? No, I don't think she

would. A lot of the time, I think it's almost a denial. They convince

themselves that everyone else is doing it, it's OK. I don't know if

she regrets what she did or whether she regrets that she got caught but

I don't know. Until there is that individual responsibility in

somebody, it's hard to see progress, isn't it? Yeah, but I think, Denise,

I agree. It's unfortunate that there are so many highlighted stories

about doping, when this sport does everything it can. It's limited

because of funds. It does everything it can to put yourself out there and

say, we've got a zero tolerance policy. Those athletes have had

their moments in this stadium, as we are getting ready for the opening

ceremony at about 6:40pm and then, at 7pm, the first athletics will go

off, the qualifying rounds of the men's 100 metres. The games will

definitely have begun then. Over the years, we have seen some

magnificent performances. Hopefully we will see some more but, to whet

your appetite, let's relive some of the greats.

And Johnson is going away, and the world record has gone.

Jessica Ennis-Hill is back on top of the world.

Christie comes through to become champion of the world.

Christine Ohuruogu is the world champion.

That was the greatest run in the history of

There he is, the great man, warming up in only the way that he knows

how. I don't know what he's listening to, but I wish I could

hear it! This is what he does, isn't it? This is where the psychology

starts for Bolt. You have to not watch him as a fellow competitor.

You have to be in your own bed. If you indulge yourself in his antics,

you are thinking, how? -- you have to be in your own head. Because of

the timing of the heptathlon and the 100 metres, you must have been

warming up over the years when he is. I feel like our careers have

been parallel. I remember Burling 2009, in the heptathlon, doing a lap

of honour, and then seeing him breaking the world record. Such a

special moment, and to have gone along through the years and to the

championship 's, witnessing what he has done for the sport... I saw you

doing a great selfie together in Rio. You've had all those moments.

Iron that's the thing, and it was Rio and he said, let's get a selfie!

And I was like, we can't go on the track! We jumped over. It's the end

of my career and it's been incredible, and what better way to

end than with a selfie with the man himself. I think we are all coming

to terms with the idea that will come to a championship in a couple

of years and Usain Bolt would be there and somebody else will step in

to dismantle. People always do. But he transcends this sport, doesn't

he? When we talk about who is next, who is next for what? Who's going to

fill the void as the best or the most popular track and field

athlete? Yeah, somebody will always fill that role, but nobody is going

to be the new Usain Bolt, who is going to have a presence outside of

this sport and is going to be a global superstar. In order to do

that, you've got to do something unique in the sport. You can't just

be a gold-medallist, a world record holder or even both. He is unique.

And you have to be unique and do something that brings people into

the sport, and that's what he did. He's brought people into the sport

and brought an audience into the sport that would otherwise be here.

In order to do that, you got transcend the sport and be your own

brand, and that is world-renowned for him. Everybody knows who he is.

He is extremely unique, not just as an athlete but as a person. And, you

know, that doesn't automatically happen. Moving away from the

international sphere and bringing it home a bit, as always, we luxe put

our pundits and experts under the spot, and ask them to make

predictions from a British perspective and how many medals they

think Britain will win. Asking them to put names, we are not look in for

to do that. They have set themselves, they think six to eight

is their target and that is where most of our athletes that, apart

from our experts, Michael Johnson, who has meanly gone for three. It's

an international competition, they are ranked by gold I am ranked above

Colin Jackson. I'm getting more golds and Colin. He's gone for six,

Steve is at five, Steve Cram is down at six. Paula is up at seven.

Denise, five is where you think it is bad. I think we can talk the

Steve Cram now that his prediction. I'm not going to ask you to put any

names to it. But you are airing on the side of caution, I feel. I think

I've been generous. You asked us to make a prediction and I've tried to

be accurate. I think I won it the world indoor championships, coming

top of the team here. It's a game we are playing at the beginning. It's

up to the athletes to go out there and to perform. I can't believe

Colin Jackson just down here has taken a gold medal away from Mo

Farah already and we haven't even started. We've got chances, haven't

we, and it's those bronzes. I think the relay teams have got a chance,

4x100, people like Laura Muir, Tom Bosworth in the walk. There are a

lot of athletes in the zone but they want will deliver. Maybe we will

have a surprise somewhere. I think Michael is being a bit harsh with

three. Do you want to Colin. Colin, stand up here. One of those gold

medals might be one from tonight. Have you decide which one Mo Farah

isn't going to win? I think he will win tonight for draw, but I worry

about the five. That's where my concern comes from. Accidents can

happen, Steve. That's the only problem. I took you to be a

positive, glass half full man. You are talking about accidents,

tripping up... User to predict, and that's nearly impossible. -- you

said it. There are so many variables. I'm going a bit for

caution. And I thought Sunderland would get promoted, so it shows how

good I am! I will be reminding you on Sunday the 14th of August how

well you have done. Worryingly, Colin tends to do quite well.

Usually, but get Michael to put a prediction in is a big deal. He has

gone for Britain's worst tally ever. Tide. Which was the worst ever?

Paris 2003. Is the nail on for a gold? Not nailed on. But you

confident. There 48 teams 200 preparations, 87 British athletes.

It's the 16th World Championships and it's about to begin.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Games Makers Choir!

# Yeah, kiss me when my lips are thin

# One day like this a year'd see me right

# One day like this a year'd see me right

# One day like this a year'd see me right

# One day like this a year'd see me right

# One day like this a year'd see me right

# One day like this a year'd see me right

The Games Makers Choir, led by Victoria Verbi, with a tribute

performance to the legacy of the Games Makers of 2012

and to all the volunteers working on the IAAF World Championships

Please welcome the wonderful Rebecca Ferguson to sing

the national anthem of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

please welcome His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, The Duke of York,

IAAF President Lord Sebastian Coe, and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

Ladies and gentlemen, my mother, the Queen, is sorry that she can't be

here this evening. But I am honoured that Her Majesty has asked me to

represent her on this special occasion, to extend the warmest

possible welcome to you all on behalf of all the people of the

United Kingdom. And the Queen has asked me to deliver the following

message. I was delighted to open the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic

Games in this very stadium. And I know it holds extraordinary memories

for competitors and spectators alike. Sport has a way of uniting

the world and reminds us what amazing things can be achieved when

people come together to celebrate the very best of human endeavour. I

have no doubt that more wonderful memories will be created over the

next ten days, and that the performances beginning tonight will

serve as an inspiration to people across the world, to the athletes,

the officials, the volunteers and supporters, and especially the

spectators in the stadium, and indeed, the millions watching around

the world, I send my sincere good wishes for a happy, exciting and

hugely successful 2017 IAAF World Championships. Would look to you

all. It seems barely credible that it was

five years ago that we were all here celebrating the Olympic and

Paralympic Games of 2012. I think I even recognise pretty much most of

you in the stadium this evening. Of course, we have been back for the

anniversary game. I definitely recognise all of the volunteers. But

this is the IAAF World Championships, and London is where

the best athletes of their generation are going to show us why

athletics is the number one Olympic sport. I would like to salute the

legion of people that stand behind the scenes that help them realise

their dreams. The local organising committee, who have worked

tirelessly to set the stage and run the show - thank you. Mayor of

London... The Mayor of London and city

partners who stand behind them delivering those crucial services -

thank you. My own team at the IAAF, whose experience is crucial, and our

partners - thank you. The volunteers, who are about to write

yet another chapter in the book called generosity of spirit. Thank

you. And of course, the 2000 athletes

that will make their way to this stage over the next ten days, who

will capture our hearts and take our breath away - thank you to each and

every one of you that is joining us here in London.

And of course, fans, all of you around the world watching this

event, all of you in the stadium who will create the atmosphere and lead

the world's applause - thank you. And thank you for choosing to do

what you do in the sport of athletics - thank you for choosing

to watch the sport of athletics. I'm now delighted to welcome the elected

mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. Good evening. It is a huge privilege

to be with you all here today in this truly iconic stadium. Five

years ago, the eyes of the world were on London, as we hosted the

2012 Olympic Games. And now, once again, the world's gaze is fixed on

our beautiful, diverse, open city. To every athlete, every official and

every member of the global athletic community who has travelled to be

here today, to the friends and family of those competing, who to

the thousands of spectators in the stands and the millions of sports

fans watching around the world, it is a great pleasure to be able to

say, welcome to London. This city, our city, has just played

host to the biggest and best World Para Athletics Championships ever.

New personal bests were set, world records were smashed, and stigmas

were shattered. And over the next ten days, I'm certain we will

witness more history in the making at London 2017. For the first time

ever - for the first time ever - the IAAF World Championships are taking

place in our great capital. And it is fitting that this local event

should take place in a city as global as ours, a city with an

international heritage and an international outlook. Because for

generations, people have flocked to London from every corner of our

globe, enriching our society, our culture and our economy. And this

evening, we honour that tradition, of welcoming talent, by hosting the

finest athletes anywhere on the planet, right here in our city. In

doing so, we show that London and will always be open to all, no

matter the colour of your skin, the colour of your passport or the

colours of your national flag. And as Seb Coe said, it is no

coincidence that sport is what brings us here tonight, because

sport has a unique and enduring power to bring people together

huddled to break down barriers and to dissolve differences. Its

universal appeal transcends faith, nationality and background. And the

passion and emotion it evokes is felt by everyone, which and poor,

old and young. Events like this also give us the chance to showcase

London at his very best. I want to thank the London 2017 organising

committee, and our partners in UK Athletics and UK sport for their

part in making these Championships a reality. And of course to the

thousands of volunteers who have given up their time in making these

Championships happen - thank you. There's no escaping the fact that it

has been a painful few months for London. With a tragic fire and

terrorist attacks in our capital. And while our city heels, tonight,

we show that in spite of everything, we remain united, that those who

seek to divide us, try and destroy our way of life, will never succeed,

and that it is impossible to suppress the spirit and soul of this

amazing city. So, let me end by this...

Let me end with this. Today, London stands as a beacon of equality and

respect, a city admired across the globe for its tiger city and

openness, and on this momentous occasion, it fills me with huge

pride to join you all in reaffirming those values, as we declare London

open - open to the world's athletes, open to the world's sports fans, and

open to the IAAF World Championships. Welcome to London

2017! The latest of our Premier League

commentaries for you this season, the whole game in full

here on 5 Live. It's been a knockout day

in the Premier League.