IAAF World Athletics Final
Encyclopedia
The IAAF World Athletics Final was an annual track and field
competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations
. It was inaugurated in 2003 to replace the IAAF Grand Prix Final
. The competition was part of the IAAF World Athletics Series and was the culmination of the World Athletics Tour each year. Due to changes in the one-day meeting system introduced by the IAAF, the World Athletics Final was discontinued after the 2009 season.
competition varied from year to year and the IAAF World Athletics Final introduced a fixed programme of events. The new schedule comprised events which were largely similar to those held at the World Championships in Athletics. The differences were that a 3000 metres
race was included at the World Athletics Final, while the 10,000 metres, marathon
, combined events (decathlon
and heptathlon
), race walks and relay races were omitted as these events generally did not feature at IAAF outdoor track and field
meetings.
The first three editions of the competition were held in Monaco
. However, the competition's stadium
in Fontvieille
, the Stade Louis II
, was not of an adequate size to hold the hammer throw
competition. As a result, the men's and women's hammer events were generally held a week earlier than the competition itself, taking place in Szombathely
, Hungary
at the Stadion Rohonci Út
.
This situation was resolved in 2006 by a move to the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion
(Mercedes-Benz Arena) in Stuttgart
, which had previously held the 1993 World Championships in Athletics
, and the 2007
and 2008
editions of the final were also held there. The IAAF World Athletics Final changed to an alternating host city format in 2009, beginning with Thessaloniki
, because the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
had also been held in Germany that year. However, although the IAAF agreed in 2008 that Rabat
, Morocco
would be the venue for the 2010 Final, general secretary Pierre Weiss
confirmed that the last edition would the 2009 competition as a result of changes in the structure of the one-day outdoor meetings tour.
Over its seven year history, Asafa Powell
and Meseret Defar
were the most successful male and female athletes: Defar won nine events and Powell won five in total. After Defar, Tatyana Lebedeva
and Sanya Richards
were the second and third highest earners of the competition. In terms of the 87 nations represented over the history of the World Athletics Final, the United States
dominated the performance lists with 56 winners – over twice that of second placed Kenya
. Russia
, Jamaica
, Germany
and Ethiopia
rounded out the top six nations by performance. This underlined these countries' strength in depth of athletes as—unlike the World Championships—there was no limit on the number of athletes representing a specific nation.
The results of the World Athletics Tour, an annual series of 25 athletics meetings, were used to form a points ranking system. Over the course of a year, athletes were awarded points for their performance in each specific event. The amount of points earned depended upon both the athlete's finishing position in the race and the level of the competition. The IAAF Golden League
and IAAF Super Grand Prix
meetings formed the upper tier of competition, followed by the intermediate tier of IAAF Grand Prix
meetings. Additionally, it was possible to earn a limited number of points at Area Permit Meetings, although an athlete had to compete in at least one of the higher level competitions to qualify for the World Athletics Final. Furthermore, an athletes were awarded bonus points if they broke or equalled a world record at a World Athletics Tour meeting.
The rankings were calculated by combining the points total of an athlete's five best performances on the World Athletics Tour (or four best performances in the throwing events). After the end of the final meeting of the season's World Athletics Tour, the top seven ranked athletes in each event received qualification into that event at the World Athletics Final. In the events of 1500 metres
or longer, the top eleven athletes were allowed to compete at the final. In the event of a tie, the athlete with the superior season's best was entered into the Final. One additional athlete was allocated to each event as a wild card
. In the event of absence or cancellation of a qualified athlete, the IAAF offered invitations to suitable athletes who did not originally qualify. However, any athletes who won a share of the IAAF Golden League US$ 1 million jackpot that year had to attend the competition in order to receive the prize.
, 5000 metres
and 3000 metres steeplechase races.
All competitors received prize
money rising from US$1,000 for the 9th to 12th placed athletes in the longer distance races to US$30,000 for the winner in each event. A further US$100,000 was awarded to any athlete breaking a world record
.
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
. It was inaugurated in 2003 to replace the IAAF Grand Prix Final
IAAF Grand Prix Final
The IAAF Grand Prix Final was an athletics competition featuring track and field events staged by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
. The competition was part of the IAAF World Athletics Series and was the culmination of the World Athletics Tour each year. Due to changes in the one-day meeting system introduced by the IAAF, the World Athletics Final was discontinued after the 2009 season.
History
The programme of the former IAAF Grand Prix FinalIAAF Grand Prix Final
The IAAF Grand Prix Final was an athletics competition featuring track and field events staged by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
competition varied from year to year and the IAAF World Athletics Final introduced a fixed programme of events. The new schedule comprised events which were largely similar to those held at the World Championships in Athletics. The differences were that a 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
race was included at the World Athletics Final, while the 10,000 metres, marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
, combined events (decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
and heptathlon
Heptathlon
A heptathlon is a track and field athletics combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek hepta and athlon . A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.-Women's Heptathlon:...
), race walks and relay races were omitted as these events generally did not feature at IAAF outdoor track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
meetings.
The first three editions of the competition were held in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. However, the competition's stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Fontvieille
Fontvieille, Monaco
Fontvieille is the newest of the four traditional quarters in the principality of Monaco, and one of ten Wards for modern administrative purposes. It is located in the western part of Monaco...
, the Stade Louis II
Stade Louis II
The Stade Louis II is a stadium located in the Fontvieille district of Monaco. It serves primarily as a venue for football, being the home of AS Monaco and the Monaco national football team, as well as the location of the annual UEFA Super Cup match...
, was not of an adequate size to hold the hammer throw
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
competition. As a result, the men's and women's hammer events were generally held a week earlier than the competition itself, taking place in Szombathely
Szombathely
Szombathely is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas county in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
at the Stadion Rohonci Út
Stadion Rohonci Út
Stadion Rohonci Út is a multi-purpose stadium in Szombathely, Hungary. It is currently home to Szombathelyi Haladás who will, for the 2008-09 season, play in the Hungarian National Championship I. The stadium is able to hold 12,500 people and was built in 1923...
.
This situation was resolved in 2006 by a move to the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion
Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion
The Mercedes-Benz Arena is a stadium located in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany and home to German Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart.Before 1993 it was called Neckarstadion, named after the nearby river Neckar and between 1993 and July 2008 it was called Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion...
(Mercedes-Benz Arena) in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, which had previously held the 1993 World Championships in Athletics
1993 World Championships in Athletics
The 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22 with the participation of 187 nations....
, and the 2007
2007 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 5th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 22 and September 23, 2007.-Men:- Women :-External links:*...
and 2008
2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 6th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart, Germany on September 13 and September 14, 2008.A number of road races also took place on the second day of competition. There were seven different starting points around the Stuttgart area and the distances varied...
editions of the final were also held there. The IAAF World Athletics Final changed to an alternating host city format in 2009, beginning with Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, because the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
had also been held in Germany that year. However, although the IAAF agreed in 2008 that Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
would be the venue for the 2010 Final, general secretary Pierre Weiss
Pierre Weiss
Pierre-Ernest Weiss was a French physicist who developed the domain theory of ferromagnetism in 1907. Weiss domains and the Weiss magneton are named after him. Weiss also developed the Molecular or Mean field theory, which is often called Weiss-mean-field theory.Weiss was born in Mulhouse and...
confirmed that the last edition would the 2009 competition as a result of changes in the structure of the one-day outdoor meetings tour.
Over its seven year history, Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell C.D is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of...
and Meseret Defar
Meseret Defar
Meseret Defar is a female long-distance runner from Ethiopia who competes chiefly in the 3000 metres and 5000 metres events. She has won medals at top-tier international competitions including Olympic and World Championship gold medals over 5000 metres...
were the most successful male and female athletes: Defar won nine events and Powell won five in total. After Defar, Tatyana Lebedeva
Tatyana Lebedeva
Tatyana Romanovna Lebedeva is a Russian athlete who competes in both the long jump and triple jump events. She is one of most successful athletes in the disciplines, having won gold medals at Olympic, world and European levels...
and Sanya Richards
Sanya Richards
Sanya Richards-Ross is a track and field athlete who competes internationally for the United States. She won an Olympic gold medal in the 4×400 meters relay at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, an individual bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics for the 400 m, and a gold medal in the 2009...
were the second and third highest earners of the competition. In terms of the 87 nations represented over the history of the World Athletics Final, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dominated the performance lists with 56 winners – over twice that of second placed Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
rounded out the top six nations by performance. This underlined these countries' strength in depth of athletes as—unlike the World Championships—there was no limit on the number of athletes representing a specific nation.
Qualification
| Position | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|
| 1st | 30,000 |
| 2nd | 20,000 |
| 3rd | 12,000 |
| 4th | 7000 |
| 5th | 5000 |
| 6th | 4000 |
| 7th | 3000 |
| 8th | 2000 |
| 9–12th | 1000 |
The results of the World Athletics Tour, an annual series of 25 athletics meetings, were used to form a points ranking system. Over the course of a year, athletes were awarded points for their performance in each specific event. The amount of points earned depended upon both the athlete's finishing position in the race and the level of the competition. The IAAF Golden League
IAAF Golden League
The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
and IAAF Super Grand Prix
IAAF Super Grand Prix
The Super Grand Prix was an annual series of athletics meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations .- Meetings :Current meetings for 2009- External links :*...
meetings formed the upper tier of competition, followed by the intermediate tier of IAAF Grand Prix
IAAF Grand Prix
The IAAF Grand Prix was an annual global circuit of fourteen one day athletics competitions as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
meetings. Additionally, it was possible to earn a limited number of points at Area Permit Meetings, although an athlete had to compete in at least one of the higher level competitions to qualify for the World Athletics Final. Furthermore, an athletes were awarded bonus points if they broke or equalled a world record at a World Athletics Tour meeting.
The rankings were calculated by combining the points total of an athlete's five best performances on the World Athletics Tour (or four best performances in the throwing events). After the end of the final meeting of the season's World Athletics Tour, the top seven ranked athletes in each event received qualification into that event at the World Athletics Final. In the events of 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
or longer, the top eleven athletes were allowed to compete at the final. In the event of a tie, the athlete with the superior season's best was entered into the Final. One additional athlete was allocated to each event as a wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
. In the event of absence or cancellation of a qualified athlete, the IAAF offered invitations to suitable athletes who did not originally qualify. However, any athletes who won a share of the IAAF Golden League US$ 1 million jackpot that year had to attend the competition in order to receive the prize.
Final competition format
The World Athletics Final was held over two days and comprised 36 athletic events, 18 for athletes of each gender. The events remained largely unchanged, with the only difference since the 2003 inauguration being the addition of the women's 3000 metres steeplechase. Each event at the World Athletics Final featured eight athletes, with the an extra four athletes competing in the each of the 1500 metres, 3000 metres3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
, 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
and 3000 metres steeplechase races.
All competitors received prize
Prize
A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people to recognise and reward actions or achievements. Official prizes often involve monetary rewards as well as the fame that comes with them...
money rising from US$1,000 for the 9th to 12th placed athletes in the longer distance races to US$30,000 for the winner in each event. A further US$100,000 was awarded to any athlete breaking a world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
.
Finals
| Edition | Link to Finals articles by year |
Date | City | Country | Venue | No. of events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2003 2003 IAAF World Athletics Final The 1st IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Stade Louis II, in Monte Carlo, Monaco on 13 September and 14 September 2003.The hammer throw event for men and women had to take place in Szombathely, Hungary a week previous as the Monaco stadium was not large enough to hold the event.One of the... |
13–14 September | Fontvieille Fontvieille, Monaco Fontvieille is the newest of the four traditional quarters in the principality of Monaco, and one of ten Wards for modern administrative purposes. It is located in the western part of Monaco... |
Stade Louis II Stade Louis II The Stade Louis II is a stadium located in the Fontvieille district of Monaco. It serves primarily as a venue for football, being the home of AS Monaco and the Monaco national football team, as well as the location of the annual UEFA Super Cup match... |
33 | |
| 7 September | Szombathely Szombathely Szombathely is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas county in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria... |
Stadion Rohonci Út Stadion Rohonci Út Stadion Rohonci Út is a multi-purpose stadium in Szombathely, Hungary. It is currently home to Szombathelyi Haladás who will, for the 2008-09 season, play in the Hungarian National Championship I. The stadium is able to hold 12,500 people and was built in 1923... |
2 | |||
| 2nd | 2004 2004 IAAF World Athletics Final The 2nd IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Stade Louis II, in Monte Carlo, Monaco on September 18, and September 19, 2004.The hammer throw event for men and women had to take place in Szombathely, Hungary a week previous as the Monaco stadium was not large enough to hold the event.One of... |
18–19 September | Fontvieille Fontvieille, Monaco Fontvieille is the newest of the four traditional quarters in the principality of Monaco, and one of ten Wards for modern administrative purposes. It is located in the western part of Monaco... |
Stade Louis II Stade Louis II The Stade Louis II is a stadium located in the Fontvieille district of Monaco. It serves primarily as a venue for football, being the home of AS Monaco and the Monaco national football team, as well as the location of the annual UEFA Super Cup match... |
33 | |
| 5 September | Szombathely Szombathely Szombathely is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas county in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria... |
Stadion Rohonci Út Stadion Rohonci Út Stadion Rohonci Út is a multi-purpose stadium in Szombathely, Hungary. It is currently home to Szombathelyi Haladás who will, for the 2008-09 season, play in the Hungarian National Championship I. The stadium is able to hold 12,500 people and was built in 1923... |
2 | |||
| 3rd | 2005 2005 IAAF World Athletics Final The 3rd IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Stade Louis II, in Monte Carlo, Monaco on September 9, and September 10, 2005.The hammer throw event for men and women had to take place in Szombathely, Hungary on September 3 as the Monaco stadium was not large enough to hold the event.- Medal... |
9–10 September | Fontvieille Fontvieille, Monaco Fontvieille is the newest of the four traditional quarters in the principality of Monaco, and one of ten Wards for modern administrative purposes. It is located in the western part of Monaco... |
Stade Louis II Stade Louis II The Stade Louis II is a stadium located in the Fontvieille district of Monaco. It serves primarily as a venue for football, being the home of AS Monaco and the Monaco national football team, as well as the location of the annual UEFA Super Cup match... |
34 | |
| 3 September | Szombathely Szombathely Szombathely is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas county in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria... |
Stadion Rohonci Út Stadion Rohonci Út Stadion Rohonci Út is a multi-purpose stadium in Szombathely, Hungary. It is currently home to Szombathelyi Haladás who will, for the 2008-09 season, play in the Hungarian National Championship I. The stadium is able to hold 12,500 people and was built in 1923... |
2 | |||
| 4th | 2006 2006 IAAF World Athletics Final The 4th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 9 and September 10, 2006.-Results:-External links:*... |
9–10 September | Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... |
Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion | 36 | |
| 5th | 2007 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final The 5th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 22 and September 23, 2007.-Men:- Women :-External links:*... |
22–23 September | Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... |
Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion | 36 | |
| 6th | 2008 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final The 6th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart, Germany on September 13 and September 14, 2008.A number of road races also took place on the second day of competition. There were seven different starting points around the Stuttgart area and the distances varied... |
13–14 September | Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... |
Mercedes-Benz Arena | 36 | |
| 7th | 2009 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final The 7th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece on September 12 and September 13, 2009. The competition represented the culmination of the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour, a selection of athletics meetings which began on September 20, 2008 at the... |
12–13 September | Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace... |
Kaftanzoglio Stadium Kaftanzoglio Stadium Kaftanzoglio stadium is a sports stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. The stadium was built with money donated by the Kaftanzoglou Foundation, hence its name. At the time of its opening on 27 October 1960, the stadium was one of the highest quality stadiums in the Balkans... |
36 | |