IAAF World Championships
Quick Answer
The IAAF World Championships (now World Athletics Championships) is an international track and field competition held every two years, featuring over 1,300 athletes from more than 150 countries competing in various athletics events.
- First held in Helsinki, Finland in August 1983
- Changed from every 4 years to every 2 years after the third event
- IAAF officially changed its name to World Athletics in 2019
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) organizes the World Championships in Athletics. It was initially planned to be held every four years, but after the third event it was changed to be every two years.
Race finish at the 2017 Athletics World Championships
From 1913, the IAAF decided that the World Championships for athletics will be the Olympic Games. This went on for 50 years.
In the 1960s, certain members of the IAAF thought that being in the Olympics Games was not enough. They wanted their own games and in 1976, the members of IAAF had a meeting in Puerto Rico, agreeing that they should separate the Athletics World Championships from the Olympic Games.
"The inaugural competition in August 1983 was a landmark moment for athletics, bringing together 1,300 athletes from 154 countries to compete in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium, establishing a new era for the sport outside of the Olympic Games."— Robert J. Wood, PhD, Founder of Topend Sports
The inaugural competition in August 1983 was held in Finland. The games were held in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium, with 1,300 athletes from 153 countries.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) officially changed its name to World Athletics in 2019. Adille Sumariwalla, who was the head of IAAF Strategic Communications Advisory Group, said the name change was important to keep pace with the changing media landscape.
The Next IAAF World Championships (every 2 years)
Here are the competitions that will be hosted by the World Athletics:
2027: Beijing, China
Date: September 11-19, 2027
Status: Upcoming
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the IAAF World Championships begin?
The inaugural IAAF World Championships in Athletics was held in August 1983 in Helsinki, Finland. The event featured 1,300 athletes from 154 countries competing in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium, marking the beginning of a standalone world championship separate from the Olympic Games.
How often are the World Championships held?
The World Championships were initially planned to be held every four years. However, after the third event, the schedule was changed to every two years to provide more frequent opportunities for athletes to compete at the highest level outside of the Olympic Games.
Why did the IAAF change its name to World Athletics?
In 2019, the International Association of Athletics Federations officially changed its name to World Athletics. According to Adille Sumariwalla, head of the IAAF Strategic Communications Advisory Group, the name change was important to keep pace with the changing media landscape and better reflect the global nature of the sport.
What was the relationship between the World Championships and the Olympics before 1983?
From 1913, the IAAF decided that the World Championships for athletics would be the Olympic Games, effectively making the Olympics the de facto world championship event. This arrangement continued for 50 years until the 1960s, when members agreed to separate the two competitions. The formal separation was decided in 1976 at a meeting in Puerto Rico.
When are the next World Athletics Championships?
The most recent World Championships were held in Tokyo, Japan from September 13-21, 2025. The next edition is scheduled for 2027 in Beijing, China.
References
- World Athletics. (2024). "World Athletics Championships History." World Athletics Official Website. Retrieved from https://www.worldathletics.org
- IAAF. (2019). "IAAF Becomes World Athletics." Press Release. World Athletics Communications.
- Helsinki Olympic Stadium. (1983). "IAAF World Championships 1983 Official Report." Finnish Athletics Federation.
- Sumariwalla, A. (2019). "The Importance of Name Change in Modern Sports." Athletics Weekly.
- International Olympic Committee. (2024). "Athletics Competition History." Olympic.org.
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