Sergey Bubka is congratulated by Sebastian Coe after both are elected as IAAF Vice President at the Osaka Congress (© Getty Images)
The World Championships in Athletics is not only a meeting place for the world’s athletes champions current and future but it also brings together former world class athletes in various capacities. Many, you see, have remained in the sport, eager to give back in some way.
Some have chosen to enter the coaching ranks such as famed marathon champion Alberto Salazar, who coached US 10,000m runner Kara Goucher to a surprise bronze medal here in Osaka this week, and Glenroy Gilbert, a member of Canada’s 1996 Olympic champion 4 x 100m relay team. He has fashioned a Canadian relay team to compete with the world’s best. Others have maintained contact with their sport through alternative means.
Earlier this week the IAAF Congress was held with elections for IAAF positions. Two former Olympic champions Sebastian Coe and Sergey Bubka were elected Vice Presidents of the IAAF. The positions are prestigious and require an enormous amount of commitment.
Coe, one will recall, made history by successfully defending his Olympic 1500m in 1984. After a career in party politics in which he became a member of Parliament, Lord Coe led London’s successful bid to stage the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Throughout he has been an IAAF council member too.
With 35 Pole Vault World records to his credit plus six consecutive IAAF World championship gold medals Sergey Bubka was a legend in track and field - as an athlete.
Currently the pair, along with many other members of the IAAF's Council and its various Committees and Commissions who were former stars of our sport at national and international level, are often seen wandering through different sites at Nagai Stadium in Osaka getting a feel for how the World Championships operate from a VIP administrators perspective.
On Monday multiple World and Olympic Long Jump champion Heike Dreschler, 1500m runner Hassiba Boulmerka, who won Algeria’s first women’s Olympic gold medal back in 1992, Russia’s 2000 Olympic 400m Hurdles winner Irina Privalova and multiple global middle distance running gold medallist Gabriela Szabo of Romania were all elected to the IAAF Women’s Committee. They are also in Osaka this week attending the championships.
The press tribune is filled with familiar faces, particularly in the television commentary section where the likes of Jonathan Edwards, the World Triple Jump record holder, 1980 Olympic 800m champion Steve Ovett, former World 1500m champion Steve Cram, 1976 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist Brendan Foster, France’s heroine Marie Jose Perec, herself a three time Olympic champion, and former American Long Jump star Carol Lewis, can be seen providing informed colour commentary to television audiences around the world.
To do this job they must remain close to the action, reviewing news stories on an ongoing basis not to mention analysing statistics. They thus bring expertise to the promotion of athletics.
Today’s elite athletes often need help with what has become their profession. Some former athletes are now working as agents for track and field clients. Dutchman Jos Hermens, who held the World One Hour record and who represented Holland at the 1976 Olympic 10,000m leads a company representing scores of world class athletes from around the world. Among his associates is 1992 Olympic 800m champion Ellen Van Langen.
Former World Championship medallist John Regis was spotted escorting one of his clients, 2007 World Championships 100m silver medallist Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas, through the Mixed Zone yesterday. Renaldo Nehemiah who held the World 110m Hurdles record is here with clients such as 2003 World 100m hurdles champion Perdita Felicien of Canada. The incomparable Michael Johnson, 200m and 400m World record holder has turned to management too, with current World and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner is star client. Who better to manage an athlete than someone who has been through it all?
And this week in Osaka we are seeing the IAAF Ambassador’s programme in full swing. These are stars of the highest rank who have now retired but who are prepared to give their time to promote the sport. Champions all, they are athletes who include the aforementioned Edwards, Ovett, Perec, who along with Stephan Diagana, Mike Powell, Frank Fredericks are in Osaka to publicise Athletics to the world.
Athletics needs partners of all descriptions in order to operate successfully. Thankfully we have world class athletes who have found their niche. Watch closely the crowd in Nagai Stadium. They are everywhere!
Paul Gains for the IAAF
