Athletes from around the globe will gather in Daegu, Korea’s third largest city, with less than 100 days left before the 2011 Daegu International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships.
The event is considered one of the world’s three largest sports events, along with the Olympics and FIFA World Cup.
Under the slogan “Sprint Together for Tomorrow,” the upcoming events will be the largest ever in the event’s history, with more participants than the previous championships in Berlin, Germany, in 2009.
| Daegu Stadium, where the 2011 Daegu IAAF World Championships will begin on Aug. 27 |
As of April 26, nearly 6,000 people, including athletes from more than 200 IAAF member countries, have registered for the championships, according to the Organizing Committee for the IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011. (For more information about the championships and the organizing committee, click here to visit the homepage in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese). Registration will remain open until mid-August, and the organizing committee expects the number of participants will continue to increase.
The championships will begin on August 27 and run for nine days at Daegu Stadium, where about 2,000 athletes will compete in a total of 47 events. World-class sprinters like Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva are expected to compete in what many consider a test match for the London Olympics next year.
| Athletes at the Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting 2011, which took place on May 12 in Daegu (Yonhap News) |
To make the event even more fun and dynamic, the IAAF and the organizing committee changed some of the rules and planned events to amuse the audience.
Under the new rules, the upcoming competitions will be streamlined to help the audience concentrate more on the matches. In particular, sprint events from 100 meter to 1,500 meter, especially, there will be fewer matches than at previous championships.
This year, world-famous sprinters like Usain Bolt or Tyson Gay of the United States will have three matches in which to compete for medals. Athletes in lower groups may have to pass a qualification match, while mid-ranked competitors can begin at the quarterfinal matches. Top-ranking athletes will show off their skills at an earlier stage and participate in fewer matches.
Both semifinal and final matches will be held between 7 and 10 p.m. the same day, creating an extra sense of excitement and competition.
| Long jump at the Daegu Pre-Championships on May 12 (Yonhap News) |
There were also changes made to the rules to prevent false starts and protect the athletes. Previously, IAAF gave warnings and then disqualified athletes after a second false start, but from this year any athlete making a false start will be disqualified immediately.
The marathon will take place on a looped course starting and finishing at Gukchae Bosang Memorial Park. The course was designed to let athletes enjoy a course past many of Daegu’s major attractions, enhancing their appreciation for the beauty and vibrancy of the host city. Afterwards, the organizing committee will hold a “Loop Festival” for visitors.
So far, more than half of the available tickets to the events have been sold. For more, visit the organizing committee’s homepage (www.daegu2011.org).
By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
