Dutch: angle: Netherlands Antilles' Gregory La Croes was one of the
lucky winners.
Courtesy IAAF,
Wilmar Kortleever


International Amateur Athletic Federation
Fédération Internationale d’Athlétisme Amateur

WORLD ATHLETICS DAY CONTEST WINNERS CHOSEN

26 May 2001
Edmonton - Canada - IAAF President Lamine Diack, world record
pole-vaulter
Sergey Bubka, Athletics Canada Board Chair Jean-Guy Ouellette and
Edmonton
2001 Local Organizing Committee Board Chair Jack Agrios have drawn the
names
of 12 World Athletics Day (WAD) winners.

The draw, which was held today, provides the 12 young athletes with an
all-expenses paid trip to see the 8th IAAF World Championships in
Athletics
in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada from Aug. 3 to 12. The winners, six boys
and
six girls, were chosen from thousands of names submitted by member
Athletic
Federations from the six IAAF Continental Areas around the world. The
2001
WAD winners will join the 12 winners from last year's draw at the
Championships.

"What an exciting day for this year's winners," said President Diack.
"The
IAAF is very pleased to be able to bring these fine young athletes to
Edmonton for the World Championships in Athletics. They will see the
world's
best athletes compete in 46 events, and at the same time have the
opportunity to visit a wonderful city in the beautiful province of
Alberta.
To be able to watch, up close, the greatest athletes in the world will
be a
once in a lifetime experience for our contest winners. We hope, for all
of
them, that it provides an incentive to perhaps become a future member of

their nation's team at the World Championships."

"We are delighted that the 12 winners from this year, along with the 12
winners from last year's draw, are coming to Edmonton," Agrios said.
"The
Opening Ceremony, which includes the running of the Men's Marathon - a
first
for the World Championships - is slightly more than two months away,
beginning 10 days of excitement, meeting and greeting old friends and
making
new ones."
WAD is a program developed by the IAAF five years ago to promote the
sport
of athletics to youth across the world. Since 1996, thousands of
youngsters
have participated in WAD in hundreds of countries in the half dozen
continental regions.

The winners of the 2001 World Athletics Day draw are:
Girls -
Mae Kolme of Papua New Guinea, 200 metres
Chih-yu Wen of Chinese Taipei, High Jump
Patricia Rissoo of Peru, Long Jump
Pamela Salikumbi of Zambia, Long Jump
Ivana Brkjacic of Croatia, Hammer Throw
Yudith Mendez of Dominican Republic, 100 Metre Hurdles

Boys -
Jacoro Sucu of Fiji, Javelin
Robani Hassan Mohd of Malaysia, 400 Metre Hurdles
Santiago Guerci of Argentina, High Jump
Hani Meguelati of Algeria, 1,500 Metres
Kosta Kaloianov of Bulgaria, 110 Metre Hurdles
Gregory La Croes of Netherlands Antilles, 100 Metres


The 2000 winners of the World Athletics Day were:

Girls
Kathryn Mitchell, Australia, javelin
Sanda Htwe, Malaysia, 10km walk
Brigith Merlan, Colombia, 100m hurdles
Lantoson Razafinjanahary, Madagascar, 100m
Patricia Lopes, Portugal
Keniesha Kiffin, Jamaica, 800m

Boys
Haozhi Wang, China, 110m hurdles
Cristian Labra, Chile, 110m hurdles
Emmanuel Unayezu, Rwanda, 400m
Volodymyr Obcharov, Ukraine, 110m hurdles
Darren Clarke, Canada, 200m
Henricks Tari, Vanuatu, long jump

ENDS