The IAAF has awarded the 2021 world athletics championships to Eugene, Oregon, the first time the event will be held in the United States.
The IAAF said Thursday's decision, which bypassed the usual bidding process, was driven by the popularity of track and field in the American market.
It said the financial support offered by the governor of Oregon and the United States Olympic Committee, as well as NBC's commitment to produce and broadcast the event, led to the decision.
"In granting the championships to Eugene, the IAAF Council have made a clear choice on a strategic decision that enables us to take advantage of a unique opportunity that may never arise again," IAAF President Lamine Diack said in a statement.
While cities usually compete to hold such events, the IAAF also awarded the 2007 world championships to Osaka, Japan, without opening it to bidding.
Diack said Eugene offered access to a key market for athletics and would further the sport's global development.
Eugene's bid last November to host the 2019 world championships was not successful. But the city renewed its lobbying for the 2021 edition over recent months with a fresh proposal to the IAAF.
The leader of that effort, Vin Lananna, said the IAAF would not regret its decision.
"We promise to deliver an outstanding championships for the sport of track and field in America and around the world," Lananna said.
The announcement came during the second half of the IAAF Council meeting in Beijing, the host city of this year's world championships.
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