DOHA, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Doha will hold the largest ever IAAF World Championships featuring 1972 athletes, said International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Sebastian Coe here on Thursday.

"This will be the largest World Championships ever. We have 208 teams participating with neutral athletes and a refugee team will also be competing, while 1972 athletes entered with 1054 men and 918 women," said Coe, who was re-elected president of IAAF on Wednesday.

According to Coe, 37 of the 44 individual gold medal winners from London 2017 will defend their titles and all 30 Diamond League champions will compete in Doha.

The hot and humid weather in Doha will be a big challenge for the athletes and the organizers will provide more medical services in endurance events to be held outside of the Khalifa Stadium equipped with air-conditioners.

"We want as many people to finish in as good a shape as possible," Coe said. "The medical team will be very alert. The heat is not the big issue. Anyone who has run or competed knows you can deal with heat, but humidity is a challenge."

"I am really pleased that we are going to be able to use these conditions to understand a bit more about how, in future, we really can take our sport into areas of climatic challenge but at the same time fulfilling the capacity building that athletics needs," Coe added.

The IAAF president believes the 17th IAAF World Championships in Doha will be successful.

"I think, over the coming days, that we are going to witness some outstanding performances," he said. Enditem

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