LS
A nice initiative of the IAAF to promote track and field athletics. Too
bad that last years winners were not given the opportunity to go to the
Sydney olympics?
Regards,
Wilmar
Courtesy IAAF,

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
International Amateur Athletic Federation
Fédération Internationale d’Athlétisme Amateur

5TH MAY IS IAAF WORLD ATHLETICS DAY
THE WINNERS OF AN INVITATION TO THE 8TH IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE
DRAWN IN EDMONTON AT END MAY


3 May 2001 - MONTE CARLO - Monaco - 147 National Federations will this
year participate in World Athletics Day. This event was introduced five
years ago by the then-President Primo Nebiolo, with the aim of
increasing public awareness of the need to educate youngsters in the
practice of athletics. On that first occasion in 1996, World Athletics
Day was themed around the Centennial edition of the Olympic Games in
Atlanta.
>From the winners of the event, the names of two boys and girls were
drawn from each of the IAAF Continental Areas (Africa, Asia, Europe,
Oceania, South America, North-Central America and the Caribbean) and
they were invited by the International Federation to attend the Atlanta
Olympics.
The formula was repeated in successive years, with the lucky winners of
the IAAF World Athletics Day receiving invitations to attend the IAAF
World Championships in Athens (1997) and Seville (1999) and the World
Cup in
Athletics (Johannesburg 1998).
This year, the World Athletics Day will be held for the majority of the
federations on the 5th May and for the remainder on 12 May. The
programme will include the following events:

1 sprint event
1 middle distance event (preferably the 1500 metres)
1 hurdles race
1 jumping competition
1 throwing event
1 walking race

There will be a draw in Edmonton on 24-25 May, during the visit of IAAF
President Lamine Diack to the city that will play host to the world’s
greatest sporting event of 2001, to determine the winners of an
invitation to attend the 8th IAAF World Championships.

This year, twelve names will be drawn and those lucky enough to be
picked will join 12 winners from last year, who, for logistical reasons,
could not be invited to attend the Olympic Games in Sydney.

ENDS