The bid includes financial guarantees from three sides - the Czech Government, Regional Government and City of Ostrava – and the Bidding Committee headed by Czech Athletics Federation President Libor Varhaník is now in full preparation for its presentation to the IAAF Council meeting in Monte Carlo on November 18 at which the decision is due to be made.

Bydgoszcz, the Polish city which hosted the 2004 European Cup in athletics, and also the 2010 and 2013 versions of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, is a rival bidder for the 2018 Continental Cup.

Ostrava has run the hugely successful one-day Golden Spike meeting at the Městský Stadion since 2001 as part of the IAAF World Challenge, during which time Usain Bolt has made six appearances and there have been a total of nine world records or all-time best performances.

The Stadium, which hosted the IAAF World Youth Championships in 2007 and the European Under-23 Championships in 2011, will be fully modernised by April 2015 through financial support from the City, offering a 15,000 capacity for the possible staging of the Cup in 2018.

Usain Bolt making one of his six appearances at Ostrava's Golden Spike meeting in 2012 ©AFP/Getty Images

"We want to promise to the IAAF a full stadium of spectators and modern technologies for them to follow the event," said Oldřich Zvolánek, vice-president of Czech Athletics Federation and head of the local club in Ostrava.

"New video-boards will be installed in the Stadium and we plan one totally devoted only for the team scoring which will show the situation in every minute of the competition."

Varhaník added:"We know how great our spectators are here in Ostrava, and many of them are kids or young supporters of our sport.

"That is something we want to use in our bid plans.

"To connect the stars of the sport with our youngsters."

The Czech Minister for Education, Youth And Sports, Marcel Chládek, is strongly supportive of the bid and, along with his deputy Petr Hulinský, visited the second edition of the IAAF Continental Cup this September in Marrakech.

Hulinský met in Morocco with the IAAF President, Lamine Diack and assured him of full support for the bid from the Czech Government.

Ostrava's bidders are also highlighting as compelling factors the walking distance between the main hotel and the Městský Stadion and the quality of the warm-up track and facilities for jumping and throwing.

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