During the IAAF Council Meeting on Thursday (10), Council decided the host cities for two 2018 IAAF World Athletics Series events.
2018 IAAF World U20 Championships
Host city: Tampere, Finland
The Finnish city was the sole bidder and Council fully endorsed its bid to host this event. With Helsinki having twice staged the IAAF World Championships, this will be the first time that Finland has played host to an age-group IAAF championship event.
Tampere’s delegation included Tampere’s Deputy Mayor Anna-Kaisa Heinamaki, Perttu Pesa, Elisa Hakanen and Pasi Oksanen.
"Of course we are happy and proud," said Deputy Mayor Anna-Kaisa Heinamaki. "Organising major events is part of our strategy to develop our city area and to provide healthier life from the babies to the elderly. It is also a great opportunity for us to invest in sport venues and sport clubs. Organising major events is a great way to combine everyday life exercising and elite sport."
2018 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
Host city: Valencia, Spain
Ten years after hosting the IAAF World Indoor Championships, and 37 years after hosting the IAAF World Race Walking Cup, Valencia will stage its third IAAF World Athletics Series event. It will be the second time Spain has hosted the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, 22 years after Palma de Mallorca staged the event.
Valencia’s delegation included Bid Committee President Paco Borao, Maite Girau, Jose Vicente Berlanga, Juan Manuel Botella and Jose Luis de Carlos.
"We are extremely proud to have won this bid and to represent Valencia, a city of road runners," said Valencia's Bid Committee President Paco Borao. "This is a project which brings together public institutions, sports institutions, athletics clubs such as the Correcamino Club of which I am president and the public society represented by the Foundation Trinidad Alfonso."
IAAF President Sebastian Coe commented: "I am delighted to congratulate Tampere and Valencia, who have won the right to host the World U20 and World Half Marathon Championships in 2018. They each delivered impressive presentations and documents befitting the IAAF World Athletics Series and we are assured of successful competitions in two years’ time.
"I also thank Sopot for its candidature. As a previous host of the World Indoor Championships, it came as no surprise that their bid was high class, but as in all athletics competitions there can only be one winner."
Other IAAF competitions
The IAAF Council also made the following competition-related decisions:
IAAF World Indoor Tour 2017
The IAAF World Indoor Tour will be expanded to 5 meetings in 2017 with the addition of Dusseldorf (GER), plus one additional meeting in 2018
IAAF World Relays Nassau 2017
Dates approved: 22-23 April 2017
IAAF World Championships London 2017
Competition timetable approved
Entry standards for road events, combined events & 10,000m approved
IAAF Continental Cup Ostrava 2018
Dates approved: 7-8 September 2018
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