Helsinki Olympic stadium and tower (© Getty Images)
The 10th edition of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Helsinki, Finland will be the biggest sporting event in the world in 2005. The championships will be broadcast in over 180 countries, with an estimated cumulative television audience of 4 billion which is equal to that of 14 Formula 1 races or two Winter Olympics.
During the event, which will be held from 6-14 August 2005 some 3000 team members from over 200 countries, 3500 media representatives, and 3000 volunteers will gather in the Finnish capital, where the concept of an Athletics World Championships outside the Olympic Games first took shape at the inaugural championships in 1983.
Marking this return to its roots, the Helsinki organisers are planning to remember some of the great moments in the history of the IAAF’s premier World Athletic Series event.
The spectators in the beautiful 1952 Olympic stadium, which has also hosted the European Championships of 1971 and 1994, will get an introduction to the history of the World Championships with each of the nine competition days representing one of the nine previous World Championships. There will be recollections through images, surprise guests, and a cultural flavour of the former host cities.
For the first time in the history of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, a sporting event for juniors and masters as well as championships for the disabled will be celebrated in connection to the elite event of Athletics. The theme of the World Championships ‘Athletics Through Generations’ includes three different sporting events.
Before the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, the Finlandia Junior Games will be organised for children and junior athletes in Helsinki (2 - 5 Aug), which will be followed by an International Youth Camp (6 - 9 Aug) in Järvenpää. During the IAAF World Championships, the Masters’ Games will be held in Lahti (10 -12 Aug), and after the IAAF World Championships, Espoo will host the European Championships for the disabled (22 – 27 August).
The idea is that the athletes competing in the Finlandia Junior Games or in the Masters’ Games can enjoy the international atmosphere and see the performances of the current stars of each event,’ confirmed the CEO of the Helsinki 2005 organising committee Antti Pihlakoski.
Helsinki 2005 / IAAF
