Athletics' World Plan Progress report

Just two years after the introduction of the IAAF’s Athletics’ World Plan, a broad-ranging nine-year development plan for the sport, significant progress has already been achieved, the IAAF Council reported today during the closing session of the 45th IAAF Congress.

Approved at the 2003 IAAF Congress in Paris, the Athletics’ World Plan was created with a mission “to remain the number one sport for individuals in a changing world.” With eight broad objectives and 113 specific actions, the Plan is a long-term vision for the sport’s development through 2012, when the IAAF celebrates its centenary.

Seven working teams have been formed to implement the Plan; of the 113 actions on the agenda, 25 have already been completed. Some highlights:

The Events Team, whose objective is to improve the quality and appeal of athletics events, has investigated several measures to shorten sessions at the World Championships and improve the presentation of one-day meetings and the World Athletics Final.

The Participation Team has made nine concrete recommendations to provide all people with the greatest opportunities to participate in the sport, ranging from the creation of age groupings for introductory programmes for kids to establishing closer links with FISU and the World Masters Association.

The Schools/Youth Team, whose aim is to make athletics the world-wide number one participatory sport in schools, has drafted its own action plan which calls for the appointment of an IAAF school/youth development coordinator.

The first step of the Competence Team, whose goal is to increase the level of competence in the sport, is to modify the status of the Area Associations within the IAAF structure.

The Facilities Team, whose mission is to improve access to athletics facilities and equipment for all, has developed a template to assist smaller member federations to develop athletics facilities, and is developing proposals to assist larger developing member federations to create partnerships to fund multi-sport facilities.

The recognition and Finance Team, whose focus is to increase the recognition and ensure a long term financial security for the sport, has developed 12 recognition and nine finance modules to improve the financial security of the sport. The points include creating a marketing course aimed specifically to fit the needs of member federation and a suggestion that the IAAF be present at key international expos and Congresses, including World Bank and UNICEF events, to promote the sport as a means to promote peace and sustainable development.

Media team, whose aim is to increase the quality and quantity of media coverage, has begun to develop a closer working relation with key international agencies, including the Associated Press. The group is also working on the creation of a more user-friendly results service as well as new TV guidelines and graphics for the sport.

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF