Daegu defeated Moscow and Brisbane, Australia, for the 2011 event in a vote by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) during its meeting at Mombassa.

 

Among the IAAF council members who voted was Sebastian Coe, the chairman of London 2012.

 

The 2007 championships will be held in Osaka, Japan, and the 2009 event in Berlin.

 

Each delegation made a 40-minute presentation to the IAAF council, followed by a 20-minute question-and-answer session.

 

It is the first time the championships have gone to Korea or Russia.

 

Daegu is South Korea's third largest city, with a population of 2.5 million, and its stadium staged matches during the 2002 World Cup.

 

Ten world championships have been held since the event was inaugurated in Helsinki, Finland, in 1983.

 

Originally held every four years, the track and field showcase is now a biennial event and is considered among the biggest global championships in world sports.

 

The 2013 World Championships were awarded to Moscow, who London defeated to win the right to host the 2012 Olympics.