THE IAAF WORLD CUP in ATHLETICS
The 30th IAAF Congress, held just prior to the 1976 Olympic Games in Montréal approved the final details of the first IAAF World Cup of Athletics. It was decided that the Cup would begin in 1977, that it would be held every two years, and that the venue for the first one would be Düsseldorf in the Federal Republic of Germany. According to the then IAAF President Adriaan Paulen, the reasons why the event was established were:
* to increase solidarity among athletes around the world, and to strengthen the ties of friendship between them
* to give outstanding athletes a chance to prove themselves between the Olympic Games
* to stimulate the development of athletics in the various continents of the world, especially those less technically developed, while guaranteeing that athletes from those countries get their chance to compete
* and in this way, to contribute to the greater development of athletics around the world, thanks to the IAAF's assistance to the Federations and individual athletes.
The first three editions of the Cup fulfilled their initial goals, though when the first World Championships in Athletics were held in Helsinki, Finland in 1983 a change in the frequency of the meeting - to every four years - was necessary. At the IAAF Congress of 1991, it was agreed to bring forward the 1993 Cup one year to 1992. The next Cup was held in 1994. Now a four-year cycle has been re-established.
Past IAAF World Cups
1st IAAF World Cup in Athletics
Rheinstadion
Düsseldorf, Federal Republic of Germany
September 2-4, 1977
Contested by 313 athletes from 52 countries
2nd IAAF World Cup in Athletics
Olympic Stadium
Montréal, Canada
August 24-26, 1979
Contested by 323 athletes from 48 countries
3rd IAAF World Cup in Athletics
Olympic Stadium
Rome, Italy
September 4-6, 1981
Contested by 357 athletes from 49 countries
4th IAAF World Cup in Athletics
Bruce Stadium
Canberra, Australia
October 4-6, 1985
Contested by 328 athletes from 51 countries
5th IAAF World Cup in Athletics
Montjuic Stadium
Barcelona, Spain
September 8-10, 1989
Contested by 392 athletes from 44 countries
6th IAAF World Cup in Athletics
Panamerican Stadium
Havana, Cuba
September 25-27, 1992
Contested by 367 athletes from 63 countries
7th IAAF/Mobil World Cup in Athletics
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
London, Great Britain & Northern Ireland
September 9-11, 1994
Contested by 341 athletes from 50 countries
8th IAAF World Cup in Athletics
Stadium of Greater Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa
September 11-13, 1998
Contested by 335 competitors from 58 countries
The IAAF World Cup in Athletics on the Web
