WA - World Athletics
Naturally, spontaneous contests in running, jumping, or throwing were
already made in prehistoric times. Also, in the ancient Olympic Games these
competitions were held.
It is known that timekeeping was used in sports for the first time in
1731. This brought a new quality in the sports. The performances became
comparable and abstract, resulting in the pursuit of bettering of them. The
recording of these performances began.
But only at a meeting during the Olympic Games in Stockholm on 17.07.1912,
the establishment of an international athletics association was decided.
Officially, however, the International Amateur Athletics
Federation (IAAF) was founded by representatives of 17 national associations on
21.08.1913 in Berlin.
On 01.08.2001 in Edmonton, the IAAF congress decided the renaming in
International Association of Athletics Federations.
On 08.06.2019 the IAAF congress accepted the new name World Athletics which came into use after closing of the world championship 2019 (06.10.2019).
2020 the IAAF has 214 national member federations in all continents.
Presidents
| 17.07.1912 - 26.08.1946 | Johannes Sigfrid Edström SWE |
| 26.08.1946 - 22.07.1976 |
David Cecil, Marquess of Exeter GBR Until 1956 Lord Burghley |
| 22.07.1976 - 02.09.1981 | Adriaan Paulen NED |
| 02.09.1981 - 08.11.1999 🕆 | Primo Nebiolo ITA |
| 08.11.1999 - 01.08.2001 | Lamine Diack SEN, acting |
| 01.08.2001 - 19.08.2015 | Lamine Diack SEN |
| 19.08.2015 - | Sebastian Coe GBR |
Secretaries General
| 17.07.1912 - 11.06.1914 | Kristian Hellström SWE |
| 11.06.1914 - 21.05.1930 | Hilding Kjellman SWE |
| 21.05.1930 - 26.08.1946 | Bo David Ekelund SWE |
| 26.08.1946 - 31.12.1952 | Ernest John H. Holt GBR |
| 01.01.1953 - 01.09.1970 | Donald T. Pain GBR |
| 01.09.1970 - 22.07.1976 | Frederick W. Holder GBR |
| 22.07.1976 - 31.12.1991 | John Byron Holt GBR |
| 01.01.1992 - 12.03.2006 🕆 | István Gyulai HUN |
| 12.-28.03.2006 | --- |
| 28.03.2006 - 22.08.2007 | Pierre Weiss FRA, acting |
| 22.08.2007 - 23.08.2011 | Pierre Weiss FRA |
| 23.08.2011 - 31.10.2015 | Essar Gabriel FRA |
| 31.10.2015 - 19.01.2016 | --- |
| 19.01. - 30.09.2016 | Jean Gracia FRA, acting |
| 01.10.2016 - | Olivier Gers FRA |
WA World Athletes of the Year
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | LEWIS Carl USA | GRIFFITH-JOYNER Florence USA |
| 1989 | KINGDOM Roger USA | QUIROT Ana Fidelia CUB |
| 1990 | BACKLEY Steve GBR | OTTEY Merlene JAM |
| 1991 | LEWIS Carl USA | KRABBE Katrin GER |
| 1992 | YOUNG Kevin USA | HENKEL Heike GER |
| 1993 | JACKSON Colin GBR | GUNNELL Sally GBR |
| 1994 | MORCELI Noureddine ALG | JOYNER-KERSEE Jackie USA |
| 1995 | EDWARDS Jonathan GBR | TORRENCE Gwen USA |
| 1996 | JOHNSON Michael USA | MASTERKOVA Svetlana RUS |
| 1997 | KIPKETER Wilson DEN | JONES Marion USA |
| 1998 | GEBRSELASSIE Haile ETH | JONES Marion USA |
| 1999 | JOHNSON Michael USA | SZABO Gabriela ROU |
| 2000 | ŽELEZNÝ Jan CZE | annulled |
| 2001 | el GUERROUJ Hicham MAR | DRAGILA Stacy USA |
| 2002 | el GUERROUJ Hicham MAR | RADCLIFFE Paula GBR |
| 2003 | el GUERROUJ Hicham MAR | CLOETE Hestrie RSA |
| 2004 | BEKELE Kenenisa ETH | ISINBAYEVA Yelena RUS |
| 2005 | BEKELE Kenenisa ETH | ISINBAYEVA Yelena RUS |
| 2006 | POWELL Asafa JAM | RICHARDS Sanya USA |
| 2007 | GAY Tyson USA | DEFAR Meseret ETH |
| 2008 | BOLT Usain JAM | ISINBAYEVA Yelena RUS |
| 2009 | BOLT Usain JAM | RICHARDS Sanya USA |
| 2010 | RUDISHA David Lekuta KEN | VLAŠIĆ Blanka CRO |
| 2011 | BOLT Usain JAM | PEARSON Sally AUS |
| 2012 | BOLT Usain JAM | FELIX Allyson USA |
| 2013 | BOLT Usain JAM | FRASER-PRYCE Shelly-Ann JAM |
| 2014 | LAVILLENIE Renaud FRA | ADAMS Valerie NZL |
| 2015 | EATON Ashton USA | DIBABA Genzebe ETH |
| 2016 | BOLT Usain JAM | AYANA Almaz ETH |
| 2017 | BARSHIM Mutaz Essa BRN | THIAM Nafissatou BEL |
| 2018 | KIPCHOGE Eliud KEN | IBARGÜEN Caterine COL |
| 2019 | KIPCHOGE Eliud KEN | MUHAMMAD Dalilah USA |
| 2020 | DUPLANTIS Armand SWE | ROJAS Yulimar VEN |
| 2021 | WARHOLM Karsten NOR | THOMPSON-HERAH Elaine JAM |
| 2022 | DUPLANTIS Armand SWE | McLAUGHLIN-LEVRONE Sydney USA |
| 2023 | LYLES Noah USA (track) DUPLANTIS Armand SWE (field) KIPTUM Kelvin KEN (out of stadia) |
KIPYEGON Faith KEN (track) ROJAS Yulimar VEN (field) ASSEFA Tigist ETH (out of stadia) |
2000: The award to JONES Marion USA was later annulled.
Last modified: 09.03.2024