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10 unusual facts about IAAF World Championships in Athletics


Älvsborg Bridge

The bridge was painted green for the 1995 World Championships in Athletics which Gothenburg hosted.

Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's pole vault

But while Bubka would vault in 3 more Olympics and would continue to dominate the World Championships with ultimately 6 consecutive wins, this would be the only Olympic medal he would achieve.

Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's decathlon

Reigning world champion and world record holder Tomáš Dvořák struggled with a knee problem throughout the competition and finished in a disappointing sixth place.

Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres

Former world champion Block, and double Olympic champion, both looked past their best trailing in behin Campbell who was never behind.

Ginnie Crawford

She first competed in the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 2005, and reached the final of the sprint hurdles competition at the 2007 and 2009 editions, finishing fifth and sixth respectively.

Mikio Oda Memorial International Amateur Athletic Game

It is one of the major track and field meets in Japan called Japan Grand Prix, and qualifying trials for World Championships and Summer Olympic Games have been held.

Qualifying standards in athletics

For the highest elite level competitions like the Olympics and IAAF World Championships in Athletics, the world governing body for athletics, the IAAF publishes standards in advance of the competitions.

Tatyana Borisova

Borisova has competed at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships twice (in 2002 and 2003), and also in the IAAF World Championships in Athletics twice, running in the 1500 m in 2001 and 2003.

UK Championships in Athletics

There was then a gap of four years until its brief return in 1997 when it also hosted the British trials for the World Championships.

United States national athletics team

The United States national athletics team represents United States of America in international athletics competitions such as Olympic Games or World athletics championships.


Andrew Pozzi

Pozzi is coached by Malcolm Arnold, the former coach of Olympic silver medalist and two-time World Championship gold medalist Colin Jackson and 400m Olympic gold medalist John Akii-Bua.

Australian Athletics Tour

Australian athletes aiming at selection in the Olympic Games, World Championships or Commonwealth Games are usually required to compete in the meetings which form the series.

Connie Henry

She has provided commentary for broadcasters such as Eurosport and the BBC, reporting on events such as the IAAF World Championships in Athletics and the Summer Olympics.

Julie Labonté

She also came in first at the 2011 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, She competed at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Deagu, South Korea, and tenth at the 2007 IAAF World Youth Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, and 14th at the 2008 IAAF World Junior Championship in Poland .

Robert de Castella

De Castella won Australia's first athletic World Championships gold medal when he won the marathon in 1983, beating Ethiopian Kebede Balcha by 24 seconds.

Ryan Gregson

He improved his personal best over 1500 metres by more than four seconds to 3:31.06 and finished 5th, beating among others former World Champion and Olympic medalist Bernard Lagat and breaking Simon Doyle's 19-year-old Australian and Oceanian record.

World Marathon Majors

It comprises six annual races (five 2006–2011, four 2012) for the cities of Tokyo (starting in 2013), Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City (2006–11, 2013–), a biennial race, the IAAF World Championships Marathon, and a quadrennial race, the Olympic Games Marathon.