Athletics Africa Magazine

Six global champions were in City Center Doha this evening for the opening ceremony of the IAAF Heritage World Athletics Championships Exhibition. The exhibition, the largest ever of its kind, celebrates the history of the IAAF World Athletics Championships whose first edition took place in Helsinki, Finland, 36 years ago, and which remain today the third most important sporting event on the planet. The evening was hosted by IAAF President Sebastian Coe and Dahlan Al Hamad , IAAF Vice President and Director General of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 Local Organising Committee. The exhibition, which occupies 400m2 of space in the largest shopping mall in Qatar will be open daily to the public for six months, closing on Monday 7 October. During this time the Asian Athletics Championships, Doha Diamond League and IAAF World Athletics Championships will be hosted by Doha, drawing thousands of athletes, official, media and fans to Qatar. Stand back in awe...

The Road To The Final reached its decisive phase in many disciplines this Friday July 21, as the IAAF Diamond League completed its 11th stage of the season at the Herculis Meeting in Monaco. Here's a summary of the top headlines. Manangoi wins, Kiprop misses out on Final Elijah Motonei Manangoi won a thrilling 1500m in Monaco, overtaking Timothy Cheruiyot on the home straight to come in at 3:28.80. Victory saw Manangoi finish top of the qualification standings. Three time Diamond Trophy winner and current holder Asbel Kiprop , meanwhile, finished only 11th, meaning he did not secure a place in the top 12 of the qualification standings, and will not be able to defend his title at the Final. Ibargüen rallies, takes revenge on Rojas For much of the women's triple jump, it looked like Venezuelan pretender Yulimar Rojas was going to inflict a second defeat this season on Colombian legend Caterine Ibargüen. The Diamond Trophy holder and Olympic champion rallied in ...

Qatar’s Olympians and rising stars are set to compete amongst some of the best athletes in the world in the first meeting of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League season in Doha. Qatar’s athletics team will join an already outstanding list of athletics superstars who will compete on 5th May at Qatar Sports Club. Lead by Olympic silver medallist, Mutaz Barshim , 13 Qatari athletes will compete, including fellow Olympians Ahmed Bedeer competing in the javelin and the fastest man in Asia, Femi Ogunode in the 100m. The javelin competition is set to be a thriller, with Qatar’s young Olympian and Aspire Academy graduate, 21-year-old Ahmed Bedeer looking to continue his solid progress in the sport in a competition that features the Rio 2016 Olympic gold and silver medallists, Thomas Röhler and current World Champion Julius Yego . Bedeer set a personal best of 84.74 to qualify for Rio 2016 and will be aiming to use the Doha Diamond League to gain further experience on his road to the Lo...

There's less than a week to go before the IAAF/BTC World Relays Bahamas 2017, which will be held in Nassau on Saturday and Sunday 22-23 April. More than 500 athletes from around the world will compete in five relay disciplines in the Bahamian capital's Thomas A Robinson National Stadium: the 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m, 4x800m and to cap the competition, a mixed 4x400m. The top eight finishers in the both the men's and women's 4x100m and 4x400m will earn automatic entry for the IAAF World Championships London 2017 to be held later this year, which ensures nations will be represented by some of their finest stars. Indeed, athletes expected in Nassau have amassed 177 world and Olympic individual and relay medals, 60 of them gold. Winners of seven Olympic titles and 11 world titles will be represented during the competition's third edition. Among them are Jamaica's new sprint queen Elaine Thompson , who sped to a 100/200m double triumph in Rio last summer, an...

The IAAF Taskforce’s latest interim report about the reinstatement process concerning the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) was delivered to Council by Taskforce Member Geoff Gardener. The Taskforce is concerned that little progress has been made since its last report. The roadmap of six milestones for RusAF’s reinstatement which the Taskforce presented to Council at its last meeting on 6 February are still outstanding and at present it does not look like they will be met any time soon. Sebastian Coe commented: “Council was disappointed and concerned to learn that the prospect of the milestones being fulfilled this year by RusAF remains a distant one. In particular the situation of the athlete Mr Andrey Dmitriev , a champion of the clean sport movement in Russia, is alarming considering he has felt it necessary to take sanctuary abroad. Anyone with information about a system which has failed to protect the goals and aspirations of clean athletes must feel it is safe to ...

In his report to the Council meeting, IAAF CEO Olivier Gers gave an update on his first six months in office. “The 3rd April was a great day to have an anniversary as it was a momentous day for another reason - we officially started operating the Athletics Integrity Unit,” commented Gers.  “We have a great sport, the best sport, our athletes and what they do is compelling. We have a solid association structure to deliver our sport, we have passionate people right across the sport but we need to work with partners to create more opportunities.”  “My first 6 months have been about strengthening our foundations - Our People, Our Processes our Partnerships and our Products.”  People: “We needed to diversify our skills within the organisation to make sure we had the right set of skills to support the Member Federations and grow the sport.”  Processes: “The reforms of last year have helped map out many of the integrated processes we need across the organiz...

The IAAF Council approved the dates and timetables of the next World Athletics Series (2018-2021) on the first day of the 209th IAAF Council Meeting taking place in London. Photo: 209th IAAF Council Meeting / © Christopher Lee for IAAF The Council also agreed the following dates : IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships Taicang 2018: 5-6 May 2018 IAAF World Cross Country Championships Aarhus 2019: 30 March 2019 IAAF World Championships Oregon 2021: 6 August - 15 August 2021. Council agreed the following timetables: • IAAF World Half Marathon Valencia 2018 (24 March 2018): Women’s race: 17:05; Men’s race: 17:30 • IAAF World U20 Championships Tampere 2018 ( download ) Extra competition session added to IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018 Council has agreed to a special high jump session being added for the evening of Thursday 1 March to the timetable of the IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018. This means that the championships, ...

Following requests from the athletics federations of The Bahamas and South Africa to amend the timetable to better allow for a 200m / 400m doubling opportunity, Council has approved changes to the timetable of IAAF World Championships London 2017. Photo: 209th IAAF Council Meeting / © Christopher Lee for IAAF The changes, which will allow the reigning Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa to double over both distances in London from 4 to 13 August, is as follows: • Men’s 200m round 1 moved from day 5 (8 Aug) to day 4 (7 Aug) • Women’s 200m round 1 moved from day 6 (9 Aug) to day 5 (8 Aug) • Women’s 3000m steeplechase round 1 moved from day 5 (8 Aug) to day 6 (9 Aug) IAAF President, Sebastian Coe commented: “This summer’s World Championships are close to my heart. 12 years ago London won the right to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. That decision led to the building of the Olympic Park and the stadium and a decision to keep the track after the Gam...

The first day of the 209th IAAF Council Meeting took place in London chaired by IAAF President Sebastian Coe. IAAF President Sebastian Coe and CEO Olivier Gers / © Christopher Lee for IAAF The highlight of the day was a presentation to Council by the local organising committee (LOC) for the IAAF World Championships London 2017 (4 to 13 August). The LOC is meeting the plethora of milestones that comes at this stage of preparation and is on track to delivering a great event with full stadia and passionate fans. The international tickets sales are the best ever with 605,000 tickets sold to date, more than any other IAAF World Championships. This includes 80,000 children’s tickets at the Usain Bolt price of £9.58. The marathons on Sunday 6 August and the Festival of Race Walks on Sunday 13 August in the City of London offer a unique opportunity for the sport to dominate the landscape of London, maximising attention. The marathon start and finish will be on Tower Bridge and ...

More than 700 amateur athletes raced through the streets of Sopot on Thursday (28) to mark the 100-day countdown to the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships. They were joined by IAAF Ambassador Wilson Kipketer, Denmark’s three-time World 800m champion, along with some of Poland’s top athletes, including 2009 World Pole Vault champion Anna Rogowska. Meanwhile, the Ergo Arena – the venue of the World Indoor Championships – welcomed dozens of school children who took part in mini sports competitions and dance shows. Read Full Article:  

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the exclusive terrestrial television, and non-exclusive radio and mobile platform broadcast rights in Sub-Saharan Africa for the London 2012 Olympic Games to Octagon . IOC President Jacques Rogge said, “We are delighted to have reached this agreement with Octagon and look forward to working with them over the coming months to ensure a comprehensive broadcast of the Games in the region.” IOC Executive Board member, Richard Carrión , who led the negotiations, said, “This is a new approach for broadcast rights in this region for the IOC. Our new partner Octagon has acquired the rights and will now begin to look for broadcast partners, who will be able to utilise a broadcast feed tailored for Sub-Saharan African viewers. "We will be working closely with Octagon to ensure that the widest possible audience has access to the London 2012 Olympic Games.” Qondisa Ngwenya , MD Octagon Africa, explained, “Octagon Africa is ex...

London 2012 Olympic Park The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) today reduced the qualifying standards in six event disciplines for athletes aiming to compete at the 2012 Olympic Games in London next summer. The events are the 400m (Men & Women) and 400m Hurdles, 5000m, Javelin Throw & Shot Put for Women. An IAAF statement reads: Following a study on the approved Qualification Standards for the Athletics Competitions of the Games of the XXX Olympiad, London 2012 (3 to 12 Aug), the requirements in six event disciplines have been eased. The London 2012 Qualification Standards, originally approved by the IAAF Council in April 2011, were reviewed by the Technical Delegates on the basis of the results of the 2011 IAAF World Championships, Daegu, Korea (27 Aug to 4 Sep), and the overall 2011 world season lists, with adjustments made to help ensure that the correct number of athletes will be entered in each event for next year’s Olympic ...

SOUTH AFRICA : Caster Semenya's manager says the global 800m champion will only defend her title in Daegu, South Korea next week if she can handle the emotional difficulties with which she is faced. “It's whether she handles the emotion that will determine how she does,” Jukka Harkonen was quoted. USA: US top sprinter Walter Dix is ready to challenge Usain Bolt and other Jamaican sprinters. “I’m enjoying myself in Korea,” he said. “My goal is to win in the 100, 200, and 4x100-meter relay to come out with triple golds, a triple crown and that’s what I’m focusing on,” Korean media are saying. ETHIOPIA: “I’m ready for the challenge and looking forward to it,” Kenenisa Bekele said while travelling to Daegu from Seoul. Dressed in a designer brown jacket and jeans, the usually reclusive Kenenisa would not be drawn to speculate on his chances, only waiting for the men 10000m final where he is seeking a fifth straight crown. Informs capitalfm.co.ke. JAMAICA: Defending champi...

Punta Umbria 2011 logo (IAAF.org) The Athletics Kenya (AK) has selected the team to represent Kenya at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbría, Spain on 20 March 2011. However Kenya's four world cross country champions, who all failed to qualify on Saturday for this year's championships, misses out. Joseph Ebuya, who won the men's title last year, failed to finish as did the women's title holder Emily Chebet while junior champions Caleb Mwangangi and Mercy Cherono finished down the field. Kenya team Senior Men (12km) 1. Geoffrey Mutai 2. Matthew Kisorio 3. Vincent Kiprop Senior Women (8km) 1. Linet Masai 2. Vivian Cheruiyot 3. Prisca Jepteling Junior Men (8km) 1. Isaiah Koech 2. Justin Cheruiyot 3. Philemon Yator Junior Women (6km) 1. Janet Kisia 2. Jepkorir Kipkoech 3. Faith Chepngetich Meanwhile, Paul Tanui leads Kenyan team for the African XC Championships to be held on March 6 in Cape Town, RSA. Others are Stephen ...

A lot has been said and written about Caster Semenya's gender issues since the South African teenager won the women's 800m title at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin last summer, but one thing missing in all these media reports is the most obvious of all. Caster was never a cheat, but she had now become a pawn in the dirty game of politics and racial determination in the post-apartheid South Africa. The IAAF also said in a statement that "no further comment will be made on the subject until further notice" as their panel of experts are still studying the results of the sex verification tests Semenya underwent in South Africa and Germany and there are ongoing consultations between the parties concerned. Meanwhile, South Africa's Department of Sport and Recreation has confirmed that Caster Semenya will not be stripped of her title despite the fact she is awaiting the verdict on whether or not she can continue to race as a woman.

Monte-Carlo – The world-wide Athletics family will gather for yet another prestigious celebration when the 2009 World Athletics Gala is held at the Salle des Etoiles of the Sporting Club d’Eté this Sunday 22 November. Hosted by International Athletic Foundation (IAF) Honorary President HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and IAF & IAAF President Lamine Diack, the World Athletics Gala will be highlighted by the announcements of the Male and the Female World Athlete of the Year 2009, with the awards presented live on stage. Following a fantastic year for track and field and a superb edition of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin five men and five women are still in contention for the prestigious award. World Athletes of the Year Finalists Men Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia Usain Bolt, Jamaica Tyson Gay, USA Steven Hooker, Australia Andreas Thorkildsen, Norway Women Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia Sanya Richards, USA Valerie Vili, New Zealand Blanka Vlasic, Croatia Anita Wlodarczyk, P...

The ANC Caster Semenya Support Task Team, in a press statement released today, has requested an urgent meeting with the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) to express our outrage in the manner in which IAAF has handled the Caster Semenya matter and furthermore, to find an amicable solution to this matter and thus its closure. During the meeting the ANC will advise the IAAF to publicly and unconditionally apologise to Caster Semenya and her family, to the South African President, the honourable Jacob Zuma and the entire nation for the violation of Caster's rights, the humiliation, injustice and pain she continues to suffer. The mishandling of her gender verification processes and its aftermath, also affected the country and indeed, the entire leadership of the country, negatively. The Task Team will also advise the IAAF to declare the gender verification tests results conducted both in South Africa and Berlin null and void. These tests were not conducted in keep...

The Athletics South Africa (ASA) says it's first priority is to ensure that Caster Semenya’s professional career is protected and they are now focusing their efforts and attention on dealing with the questions around her legitimately continuing to participate in athletics. According to a release by MS&L Worldwide on behalf of Athletics SA, "the ASA cannot afford to be drawn into a media campaign to discredit the leadership and administration of the ASA at this time. "In order to focus its attention in the best interests of all its athletes, the ASA is open to the appointment a commission of enquiry into the way in which it conducted its affairs around the Caster Semenya issue. The ASA will request input into the terms of reference of this proposed enquiry. This will allow the ASA to focus its attention where it can make a difference to Caster’s future. As the administrator of athletics in South Africa, the ASA has and continues to operate in the best interests of Sout...

NIGERIA's former track and field chief coach, Armelia Ede t and two other Africans, Wilfried Daniel s of SOUTH AFRICA and Bisrat Gashawtena of ETHIOPIA were honoured by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) with the IAAF Veteran Pin for long and meritorious service to the cause of world athletics during the 47th edition of the IAAF Congress at the Hotel Estrel, Berlin yesterday. Younes Chetali from TUNISIA also received the IAAF's Plaque of Merit given to six distinguished members [from each of the Area Associations] "of the global athletics family who have made enormous career long contributions to the success and the development of [the] sport" The IAAF Congress, the highest decision making body of the association, was attended by 198 of the IAAF’s 213 National Membership Federations and a total of 371 delegates were at the meeting which was presided over by IAAF President Lamine Diack. Some of the major decisions agreed on at the end of the con...

With the IAAF's qualification deadline of 3 August 2009 (midnight Monaco time) for the submission of final entries for relay teams, from the IAAF’s 213 Member Federations, fast approaching, Kenya and Nigeria relay teams head to Germany this weekend in last-ditch efforts to make the World Championships in Berlin. Kenya, once a force to reckon with in the men's 4X400m relay, with a silver medal (by the quartet of Kennedy Ochieng, Simon Kemboi, Abednego Matilu and Samson Kitur) at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, are struggling badly. A recent attempt at qualifying at the 4th CAA Super Grand Prix meet in Abuja , Nigeria two weeks ago ended when a collision with the Nigerian third leg at the final changeover left the Kenyan anchor leg with his right spike shoe off and unable to meet the 3:03.30 qualifying mark as the team ended third in 3:03.90. Kenyan sprint coach Stephen Mwaniki told me in Abuja they plan to take the 4X400m relay quartet (Anderson Mureta, Mark Mutai, ...