Team GB 400m runner Christine Ohuruogu has voiced concerns over the decision to award Doha the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
The Qatari capital was confirmed as the host city yesterday afternoon, having beaten off bids from Barcelona and Eugene.
However, despite the fact that the event has been moved from its traditional date in August to October, temperatures in the Gulf state are still expected to be well into the 30s.
With that in mind, Ohuruogu has called upon the organisers to ensure that the health of the athletes is properly safeguarded.
"To have the extra pressure of your body having to work against that heat, I just wonder how many people will manage. Maybe they'll have air-conditioned tracks. I hope they are sensible about it," she told The Guardian.
"It's a concern. Maybe the sprinters can get away with it because they are not out there for that long but for the guys who are running laps and laps, they are pushing their bodies to the limit anyway, to add the extra ingredient of extreme heat, I would be worried about what would happen to them and their health.
"I think when it gets to a point where it gets too hot, it doesn't become manageable for the athletes or comfortable. Even if we have a hot day in the UK and there are guys running laps, they have to take some caution."
It has already been confirmed that the marathon will be run at night, when conditions will be cooler.
Liam Apicella
